In 2018, when FIFA selected Canada, Mexico, and the United States to host the 2026 World Cup, the optimism was palpable. The enthusiasm for soccer in these nations is enormous, and they boast significant infrastructure, including transportation systems, stadiums, and training facilities. The event seemed destined to generate substantial revenue for FIFA, with predictions of 5 million fans attending, further promoting the sport across all three countries.
However, various circumstances have put U.S. host cities in a challenging situation ahead of the World Cup, even before the matches begin. In July, Congress approved a $625 million funding package for the 11 U.S. host cities, aimed at covering expenses like security and FIFA fan fests that have been integral to the tournament since 2006. Yet, with less than 100 days before the tournament, the funds have still not been disbursed, raising concerns among host cities.
What’s Causing the Delay?
The current partial shutdown of the U.S. government has left the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) underfunded, following demands from Democratic lawmakers for new limits on federal immigration operations due to recent violent incidents. This has impacted federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is responsible for allocating the funds, but hasn’t yet done so. While some federal employees are still working during the shutdown, those involved in processing the grant funding are not included.
The lack of fund disbursement has become a point of contention in political discussions.
During a hearing of the House Committee on Homeland Security on February 24, U.S. Rep. Nellie Pou of New Jersey, whose district includes MetLife Stadium—the site of the World Cup final—expressed frustration: “Congress has appropriated $625 million for the 11 cities hosting World Cup matches, including my district. With only about four months remaining, these cities report they have yet to receive this funding. This is completely unacceptable so close to kickoff. If DHS is to play a role in this tournament, it must be transparent, coordinated, and timely. The World Cup is a global event, and we need to act like we are prepared. We’re running out of time.”
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In response, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated in a post on X that “FEMA was in the final stages of reviewing applications to ensure proper oversight when Democrats shut down the government, placing significant portions of FEMA staff on administrative leave. No funding has been awarded yet under the FIFA World Cup grant program. The longer DHS remains unfunded, the less prepared our nation will be for threats during the FIFA World Cup and events such as America 250.”
Pou later countered with her own post on X, pointing out that DHS’s announcement regarding the grant program predicted that funds would be awarded no later than January 30, 2026, well ahead of the DHS shutdown which began on February 14. She emphasized, “It’s time for DHS to do its job.”
Racing Against the Clock
During the February 24 House committee meeting, officials connected to the host cities and their security operations highlighted the urgency of the situation.
Ray Martinez, the chief operating officer for the Miami World Cup host committee, indicated a “drop-dead date” at the end of March for receiving approximately $70 million in funding. If the money is not received by that deadline, plans surrounding the World Cup could start to unravel.
“We’re only 107 days away from the tournament, but more importantly, we’re about 70 days out from starting to construct the fan fest. Decisions need to be made,” Martinez noted. “… Without the funding, our planning and coordination could be severely impacted.”
Joseph Mabin, deputy chief of the Kansas City (Missouri) police, emphasized the importance of this funding for hiring additional personnel required for security at six games and the four team base camps in the Kansas City region.
Foxborough, Massachusetts, with a population of around 18,000, has also voiced concerns regarding the funding shortage. Gillette Stadium is situated there, and the town is responsible for issuing licenses for events at the venue.
At a meeting of the town’s select board on February 17, leaders expressed anxiety over the approximate $8 million needed. Neither Mike Loynd, president of the Boston 2026 host committee, nor Kevin Clark, director of venue operations for FIFA 26, could provide updates on the security funding situation.
“I have to be honest, it baffles me that as we sit here today, we still have no clarity on where this money will come from,” board member Mark Elfman disclosed.
However, during a subsequent town meeting, Boston World Cup organizers assured the select board that they would cover the $8 million needed, backed by a guarantee from the Kraft Group to cover any funding shortfalls. Gary Ronan, an attorney for the Boston host committee, added that costs would be covered within two business days of receiving an invoice.
“If you don’t get paid, you can cancel the license,” Ronan stated. “No future soccer game will take place.”
Yet, there were disagreements about the timeline for the delivery of security resources among other issues. The board plans to vote on granting FIFA a license to use the stadium for the World Cup in its next meeting on March 17.
The federal government did announce $100 million in transit funding this Tuesday for host cities to enhance their public transportation systems. However, these funds are administered by the Federal Transit Administration and are unaffected by the DHS shutdown.
FIFA’s stance has been largely hands-off. Even though the tournament is organized by FIFA, sources within the organization view the funding challenge as an issue that should be resolved between the federal government and the host city representatives.
With little expectation of FIFA’s involvement, the deadline looms as the end of March approaches. Whether the funding situation will be addressed before then remains uncertain.