Copyright NBC10 Boston
With just over 200 days left until Boston takes the world stage as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, local organizers said Massachusetts has yet to deliver the funding they were expecting. The organizers are warning that it could mean scaling back major fan events and services. Boston Soccer 26 CEO Mike Loynd said the group is still waiting on $20 million included in Gov. Maura Healey's supplemental spending proposal. So far, the Massachusetts House of Representatives has earmarked only $10 million, while the state's Senate has set aside $5 million to support public transit to the matches. "It certainly would be downscaled, if not very limited, if we didn't have the funding from the state," said Loynd. He said that he's worked on a dozen major events, including the 1994 World Cup, and that the economic return for Massachusetts would far outweigh the cost. "Every dollar spent will be returned five-fold, at a minimum, if not tenfold," Loynd said. "So for us, yeah, it's about maximizing this opportunity." Healey said she's continuing to press lawmakers to approve the funding. "I put forward a request for funding," she said. "It's currently with the Legislature now, and I'll continue to have conversations with them about this." Massachusetts House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz said the Legislature is mindful of the event's potential, but must also balance other priorities. "We put on major events before. We put on World Cup games before. I think we know how to do it, and we're going to do it right," Michlewitz said. "We certainly have to make sure we're taking care of our everyday residents and not just about issues that are one-time events." Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues has said the Senate's $5 million allocation is meant to help support public transit to the matches — and that senators are open to providing more funding down the road. "As a longtime fan of European football, and the Portuguese National Team in particular, I am very excited to see Massachusetts host the 2026 World Cup, right here in our backyard," he said in a statement to NBC10 Boston. "Earlier this year, the Senate proposed and secured $5 million to help support public transit associated with World Cup travel to Foxborough. I welcome future discussions about how the Commonwealth can continue to help the event be successful and look forward to having those conversations,” he said in a statement to NBC 10 Boston. Organizers said that without the full $20 million, cuts could include fewer promotional events, no backup shuttle buses to move fans to and from Foxborough in the event the MBTA trains fail, and a smaller fan fest planned for downtown Boston. Loynd said he expects to get reassurances from legislators this week.
