PROVIDENCE – Ocean State 2026 Chairman and R.I. General Treasurer James A. Diossa has said that Rhode Island will need approximately $4 million to $5 million to fully leverage tourism opportunities during next summer's World Cup matches being held at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
Ocean State 2026 has received around 40 pre-applications from various organizations, including municipalities, to its competitive grant program, dubbed the "Rhode Island Summer of Soccer." The nonprofit is offering grants ranging from $1,000 to $500,000 for groups seeking to put on special events around the state when the tournament is played from June 13 to July 9, 2026.
Proposals given special consideration will be those identifying marketing benefits such as naming rights, logo placements, identification in advertising for sponsors.
However, none of the sponsorship money that the nonprofit is counting on to fund the grants has been secured, Ocean State 2026
spokesperson Grace Voll told Providence Business News.
"We are hoping to have some sponsor updates in the coming weeks," she said.
Voll declined to elaborate on other potential sources of revenue being explored, but Ocean State 2026 Executive Director Elizabeth Tanner recently told WJAR-TV NBC 10 that the nonprofit will likely put in a request to the General Assembly when it reconvenes next January.
Rep. Joshua Giraldo, D-Central Falls, is open to any funding proposals that will help the state help prepare for the World Cup.
With an estimated 1 million visitors expected to visit the region, Giraldo expects a busy summer for local establishments from not only that influx but on the strength of the enthusiasm for the sport in the Blackstone Valley region. This is evident at places like La Casona restaurant in Central Falls, which hosts block party viewings of professional soccer matches that routinely attract hundreds of soccer fans.
Giraldo also anticipates similar excitement from the local Cape Verdean community since that country has qualified for the World Cup for the first time ever.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he said. "And this is going to bring millions of eyes to the region."
Michaela M. Antunes, spokesperson for Providence Mayor Brett P. Smiley, confirmed that the city applied for a grant and is now putting together its proposal, due by Dec. 3, "to support major Summer of Soccer Fan Zone activations in our beloved public spaces throughout June and July."
Smiley's administration is touting the fact that Providence is less than 30 miles from Gillette Stadium.
"As the nearest city to Gillette Stadium, the city of Providence expects to welcome thousands of soccer fans from across the globe to our Creative Capital next summer," said Antunes.
Despite being charged with marketing and planning as one of the 16 organizing host committees in North America, representatives from Boston 2026 say they have yet to receive any funding. Massachusetts Gov. Maura T. Healey's proposed supplemental budget, which includes $20 million for World Cup related activities, is currently stalled on Beacon Hill.
According a report by The Boston Globe, the organization initially sought to raise at least $100 million through corporate sponsorships but has only gotten pledges for about $20 million to date, a majority from local companies.
Asked if he would support Rhode Island tax-dollars going toward the e ffort, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi said because he has not received any legislative ask, “it would be too premature to comment.”
“Once a request is made, it will be given careful consideration, and it will go through the legislative budget process,” he said.
Discussions about the tournament's impact haven't been limited to just the benefits.
According to the Sept. 25 meeting minutes of the R.I. Convention Center Authority finance committee, board members expressed concerns about booking the convention center for events and conferences during the tournament. Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau Vice President of Sales and Services Thomas Riel said the World Cup “throws a curveball" into the busy months of June and July "because there are no hotels rooms available to book any meetings or conventions." He also added that the bureau "won’t have the capacity to take on additional events, as hotels will already be booked and attendees will have nowhere to stay."
RICCA Executive Director Daniel P. McConaghy on Wednesday said the authority is not playing a direct role in the World Cup preparations, referring questions to Ocean State 2026 and the PWVCB.
Meanwhile, Newport Mayor Charlie Holder, who serves as a board member of the Newport & Bristol County Convention & Visitor Bureau, also known as Discover Newport, said the organization is in the process of launching its own marketing campaign to lure spenders further south.
"We are going to be using Newport as an attraction and letting [visitors] know they are just a day trip away," he said.
Holder is confident in Ocean State 2026 and state officials but said that during their most recent meeting with Discover Newport "they didn't really have a full blown out plan."
"So we aren't waiting for someone else to do something. We are going to be a little bit more proactive about it," he said.
(SUBS 15TH paragraph to clarify that Boston 2026 has so far received pledges for $20 million in funding.)
Chris Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may reach him at Allen@pbn.com.
