England and Scotland World Cup games under threat in £6m venue dispute
England and Scotland’s World Cup group stage matches in the United States face scheduling uncertainty following a row over unpaid security costs at the host venue in Massachusetts.
Local officials in Foxborough have threatened to withhold the necessary entertainment licence for the Gillette Stadium unless a £6m ($8m) funding shortfall is resolved.
The venue, located outside Boston, is scheduled to host seven matches during the 2026 tournament.
This includes Thomas Tuchel’s England side facing Ghana on 23 June.
The Tartan Army are also due to visit Foxborough twice to play Haiti on 13 June and Morocco on 19 June.
Foxborough issues licence ultimatum
The dispute centres on security funding owed to the town to police the high-profile event.
Foxborough Select Board Chair Bill Yukna has insisted the issue must be resolved by a strict deadline of 17 March.
Without the funds or a concrete agreement, the town claims it will not grant the licence required to host the fixtures.
“It’s not acceptable for us,” Yukna said.
“The balance of it will be due just before the 17th meeting for us to be able to successfully say we can accomplish the goals that the public safety plan calls for.”
While the stadium is only hosting matches on seven specific days, Fifa regulations require the venue to be available for the entire 39-day duration of the tournament.
Delays in federal funding
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has moved to reassure fans that the matches will go ahead as planned.
She attributed the current standoff to delays in receiving funds from the US federal government.
“The World Cup is going to happen – it is going to be in Massachusetts,” said Healey.
“It’d be a lot easier if the federal government provided the funding that they were supposed to provide. That hasn’t happened yet.”
Many of the 11 US host cities are reportedly still awaiting their share of a $625m (£468m) federal security budget.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) was expected to allocate these funds by the end of January.
Mike Loynd, president of the Boston Fifa World Cup 2026 host committee, stated that organisers are willing to cover public safety costs but are disputing the demand for upfront payment.
If the licence is refused, it remains unclear where the affected Group D and Group F fixtures would be relocated.
