Foxborough demands clarity on $8M World Cup security funding - ESPN

Town officials in Foxborough, Massachusetts, are seeking clarity on the source of around $8 million they say is needed to fund public safety for this summer's World Cup games at the home of the New England Patriots.

Foxborough town manager Paige Duncan told ESPN the town is committed to hosting the global soccer tournament but needs clarification on funding by mid-March in order to grant FIFA the license required to hold the event.

«Without a satisfactory resolution of this issue, the Town will not be able to act favorably on your application and finalize licensing, and the seven matches proposed to take place in Foxborough would therefore be at risk,» Duncan wrote in a letter sent to the organizers in early January, which ESPN reviewed.

Julie Duffy, chief marketing and communications officer for FIFA World Cup Boston 2026, told ESPN in a statement: «We are working closely with FIFA, the stadium and the town of Foxborough to reach an agreement.»

FIFA directed ESPN to Duffy and declined further comment.

The federal government has earmarked $625 million for the U.S.'s 11 host cities «to enhance security and preparedness,» but it is unclear how much Foxborough will receive. Town officials say they cannot front taxpayer money now and wait to be reimbursed later.

«While grant funding or reimbursement through third parties may ultimately be available, the Town cannot rely on speculative or downstream funding when making staffing and deployment decisions,» Duncan wrote in the January letter.

«It just doesn't work that way,» Duncan told ESPN, adding that Foxborough is a small town where residents vote on budget matters at semi-annual town meetings.

Duncan said the $8 million would cover the Foxborough police, who handle law