England’s World Cup clash with Ghana at Gillette Stadium faces the threat of relocation following a £6million funding row between local authorities and FIFA.
Officials in Foxborough, the Massachusetts town located 22 miles south-west of Boston where the 66,000-seat venue stands, have issued world football’s governing body with an ultimatum expiring on 17 March.
The dispute centres on who will foot the bill for security and infrastructure requirements during the tournament, with the town’s Select Board refusing to grant the necessary licence until the matter is resolved.
England are scheduled to face Ghana at the New England Patriots’ home ground on 23 June, but that fixture now hangs in the balance.
The stadium is set to stage seven World Cup fixtures in total, meaning FIFA could be compelled to arrange a last-minute venue change should negotiations collapse.
Scotland supporters face similar uncertainty, with their opening group matches against Haiti and Morocco also earmarked for the Massachusetts ground.
Select Board chairman Bill Yukna emphasised the considerable resources required, telling a recent meeting: “We have to secure that facility for 39 days straight, I think there’s a lot of manpower involved there.”
England won all 10 of their World Cup qualifying matches
| PAHe stressed that despite three years of preparation, the town cannot move forward without financial clarity.
“Without those answers and without us ordering some needed materials very soon, it will be impossible for us to implement those plans that we’ve developed,” Yukna added.
The financial impasse involves multiple parties pointing fingers at one another over responsibility for the costs.
Winners of the last five World Cup finals | PAThe Kraft family, who own the Patriots, had been expected to underwrite the expenses but have refused, maintaining that the stadium falls under FIFA’s control for the duration of the tournament.
However, Kevin Clark, FIFA’s World Cup 2026 Director of Venue Operations, insisted the governing body bears no obligation to fund security arrangements.
“With respect to the financial agreement, we have to defer to both the stadium and the host city. We are not in a position to comment on the financial requirements,” Clark stated.
Under the official hosting agreement, municipalities are responsible for covering policing, safety and protection expenditure, though federal borrowing options exist.
Massachusetts state officials are now preparing to approach the US federal government seeking additional funds to break the deadlock before the deadline passes.
Scotland beat Denmark 4-2 back in November to book their place at the 2026 World Cup
| PAThe £6million demand represents a substantial burden for Foxborough, amounting to roughly 10 per cent of the town’s entire annual budget for 2026.
Local board members have expressed anger at the situation, directing criticism at the official US organising committee and accusing them of failing to honour earlier commitments.
“So all we’re asking for is a collaboration that gets us the answer as to who,” Yukna said of the funding responsibility.
Should federal assistance materialise, officials hope the scheduled matches can proceed as originally planned.