Who will pay for World Cup tourism effort?

Matthew McNulty

09/26/2025

RIFC-action-shot-for-0814 — THE NONPROFIT OCEAN STATE 2026 is looking to capitalize on the FIFA World Cup soccer matches that will be played at Gillette Stadium next summer. But the group acknowledges it has yet to secure funding for events and marketing that might draw tourists. Pictured is a Rhode Island FC match at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket. / COURTESY RHODE ISLAND FC

With seven FIFA World Cup matches coming to Gillette Stadium next summer in nearby Foxborough, Mass., Rhode Island is eyeing an estimated tourism windfall of $330 million, with as many as 1 million soccer fans expected to pass through the Providence metropolitan area. At the center of the state’s effort to draw in those visitors

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