Home Economy Economic Activity Report: Foxborough board approves license for World Cup games at Gillette Stadium

Report: Foxborough board approves license for World Cup games at Gillette Stadium

By

PBN Staff

-

03/18/2026

TispOGA8-1229632067 — THE FOXBOROUGH Select Board approved the entertainment license Tuesday for the FIFA World Cup matches to be held at Gillette Stadium this summer. / PBN FILE PHOTO

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The drama over who will pay for the estimated $7.8 million in security costs when Gillette Stadium hosts seven matches of the upcoming FIFA World Cup tournament this summer is officially over. The town Select Board on Tuesday unanimously approved the entertainment license for the venue, clearing the way for the matches

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The drama over who will pay for the estimated $7.8 million in security costs when Gillette Stadium hosts seven matches of the upcoming FIFA World Cup tournament this summer is officially over. The town Select Board on Tuesday unanimously approved the entertainment license for the venue, clearing the way for the matches to be held in Foxborough in June and July, multiple news outlets reported. On March 12 Kraft Sports Entertainment, owner of the New England Patriots and New England Revolution, and Boston 2026, which is the regional World Cup organizer for the games at Gillette Stadium, announced a deal with the Foxborough board to cover the security costs. Per the agreement, Boston Soccer 2026 will provide upfront payments of about $1.5 million at a time to cover public safety equipment and staffing needs, WJAR-TV NBC 10 reported Tuesday. The organization also agreed to pay invoices from the town within one business day, with the Kraft Group backing the funding to ensure payments are made, according to the report. The board previously refused to issue the permit because it didn’t want the town to be on the hook nor use public money for security funding.

“I'm feeling good," Foxborough Select Board Chairman Bill Yukna said after the meeting, according to WJAR. "I think the town is well-protected."

The World Cup matches will be played in host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico in June and July. In order for the matches to go forward, the host cities must approve an entertainment license authorizing FIFA, the international soccer governing body, to hold and manage them. The license covers safety, security and operational compliance. Foxborough officials previously applied for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to cover the public-safety costs. However, the $635 million the government has earmarked for the 11 American host cities has been delayed by the partial government shutdown, WPRI reported on March 3. The first match at Gillette Stadium, which will be known as Boston Stadium throughout the tournament, is scheduled for June 13 between Scotland and Haiti.