Fears World Cup games won't go ahead as planned as town STILL refuses to host – the-sun.com

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THE embattled New England stadium set to host World Cup games has taken one step closer to resolving an ongoing fee spat – but local leaders say it isn’t enough.
Plans for one of the world’s biggest sporting events are hanging in the balance after the quiet town refused to foot a necessary $8m security bill.
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The pricey security detail was crucial for Gillette Stadium, which is in Foxborough, Massachusetts, outside Boston, to get a license for the matches.
But a five-person board of locals who were selected to oversee the influx of tourism refused to approve the eyewatering payout – putting seven games and 64,000 seats at risk.
The board asked for a guarantee from Fifa tournament organizers that their investment would be returned – and suggested billionaire New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft could help with the costs.
Now, a spokesperson for Gillette Stadium has said Kraft Sports and Entertainment, which owns the NFL team and the venue, would help out.
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They agreed to offer no more than $1,512,490, with minimum amounts of $100,000 sent to Boston Soccer 26 “from time to time,” ABC affiliate WCVB.
In the statement, Gillette Stadium resolutely declared that the situation had been handled and looked forward to the electric summer event.
However, the Chair of the Foxborough Select Board claimed the two parties actually haven’t agreed to the proposed funding arrangement.
“What they have presented is essentially an agreement with themselves, but such terms are not responsive to the town’s requirements and will not suffice to address the Town’s needs for providing security services for these events,” Select Board Chair Bill Yukna said.
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“We look forward to continue working with all stakeholders on this matter, but any suggestion that BS26 or the Kraft Group have adequately addressed the Town’s concerns is false.”
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Gillette Stadium for a response to Yukna’s concerns.
The countdown until World Cup 2026 is on as the first match set to take place at Gillette Stadium is slated for June 13, when Scotland faces Haiti.
Local Foxborough business owners say they’re living in fear of the chaos that’s set to rain down on their quiet, 18,000 person strong town.
Terri Lawton, who owns a family farm outside the stadium, commended the work of local leaders for demanding necessary support.
“I think the select board is doing a great job trying to protect residents,” she told The U.S. Sun.
“We’re a very small town. We don’t have $8million to front — and even if we did, we shouldn’t. As far as I know, there aren’t any assets backing it.”
Under Fifa’s hosting agreements, the soccer organization will collect the vast majority of revenue, from ticketing and broadcast rights to parking.
Meanwhile, host cities need to bankroll security, transportation, and protection for officials like Fifa president Gianni Infantino.
But Infantino and President Donald Trump insist the event will be a cash cow for the US economy as they predict a $30billion windfall.
Foxborough isn’t the only city experiencing major tension just months away from kick-off.
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A six-week fan fest was set to take place in New Jersey, but had to be scrapped due to financial problems.
And violence over the killing of a cartel boss in Mexico has raised safety concerns for matches south of the border.
Historically, the FIFA World Cup was managed by a National Organizing Committee (NOC) — a central federal or sports department that acted as the middleman between FIFA and the host country.
This body typically absorbed the majority of the financial risk, legal liabilities, and logistical overhead.
For the 2026 World Cup, that model has been scrapped in favor of a decentralized system.
How it Works:
The Controversy: Many cities are now pushing back, calling the arrangement a “bait-and-switch.” While FIFA expects record-breaking revenues of up to $14 billion, local hosts are struggling with:
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