Yukna said the town was supposed to learn on Jan. 30 about its grant request but is still waiting.
The hammer Foxborough holds over FIFA and the Kraft Group is the granting of an entertainment license that will allow the games to be held in the Patriots’ and Revolution’s home stadium, which is to be known as “Boston Stadium” during the event.
Because the Kraft Group is subletting the venue to FIFA, the existing entertainment license does not cover this summer’s tournament and a new one is required, said Yukna.
The town has set a March 17 deadline to receive its full security request before granting a license.
“Our issue quite honestly is grants don’t really work for us in the sense of timing,” said Yukna. “We obviously would have to pay all the officers and any of the [new capital] purchases before the grant would reimburse us.”
Yukna said the town is not allowed to discuss specific security measures and requirements from FIFA and security partners the town is working with, other than to say they are “enhanced” needs and are not used for standard security operations for sports events and concerts.
“We told them that if we don’t have a completed lease resolved and signatures on both sides by March 17, then the town will not issue a license,” said Yukna.
The end of the town’s fiscal year falls on June 30, the day after the sixth match and nine days before the seventh.
In a statement sent to the Globe, the town reiterated that the World Cup is not an event that its taxpayers can subsidize.
“Foxborough supports the World Cup and wants to be a successful host community,” read the statement in part. “However, the taxpayers of Foxborough cannot and will not be responsible for funding an international sporting event. We believe it is reasonable and appropriate that FIFA and/or event partners provide the funding necessary to support the public safety and operational requirements that come with hosting these matches.”
The town’s 2026 fiscal year operating budget is $102,338,412, with $13 million budgeted for public safety.
The funds from the $46 million federal grant earmarked to Massachusetts for World Cup security matters exceeds the 2026 total outlay of $6.4 million for its police department.
FIFA, soccer’s governing body, estimates revenues from the expanded 48-country event to be held in 16 North American cities will top $11 billion.
FIFA reported $4.76 billion in assets at the end of 2024, when it generated $483 million in revenues.
Based on FIFA’s revised 2024 budget, its expenses and investments this year will total close to $6.4 billion.
Last year, CNBC ranked the Kraft Group as the eighth-most-valuable sports conglomerate, worth an estimated $11 billion.
The Boston 26 committee charged with staging the event is a nonprofit that does not receive funding from FIFA. Its approximately $100 million budget is funded through state, federal, and private investments.
Foxborough and Boston are expected to apply for and receive a large portion of the $46 million allocated to Massachusetts. The grant approval process is complex, involving first the state and then federal review, which is handled through FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security, which makes the final funding decisions.
The Globe reached out to FIFA for comment and was told to redirect inquiries to the Boston host committee, which did not immediately respond. Last Friday, the committee conveyed in a statement that it was “working closely with FIFA, the stadium, and the Town of Foxborough to reach an agreement.”
Foxborough’s statement said that it is working “collaboratively with FIFA, Boston Soccer, Kraft Sports and Entertainment, the Commonwealth, and our public safety partners to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup” and that the games represent an “exciting opportunity for the region.
“At the same time, hosting an event of this scale creates significant public safety, operational, and infrastructure demands on the host community. Our police, fire, emergency communications, public works, and municipal staff will be responsible for ensuring the safety of tens of thousands of visitors while also maintaining essential services for our residents and businesses.”
The town has spent many months working with event organizers and public safety professionals to identify the resources required to host these matches. Those efforts have made clear that the associated municipal costs are substantial.
The town emphasized that it is working toward a solution: “Our goal is to ensure that the event is safe, well managed, and successful for visitors, the region, and most importantly, the residents and businesses of Foxborough.”
Last Friday, a spokesperson for Governor Maura Healey said, in part: “We are committed to ensuring that municipalities, especially Foxborough, have the support they need to make this a successful event through state, federal, and private funds.”
Michael Silverman can be reached at [email protected].
