US states offer tax breaks and funds for chance to host 2026 World Cup matches

US cities and states have lined up with tax breaks and millions of dollars in both public and private investments for a chance at hosting 2026 Fifa World Cup games, set to be announced Thursday.

The prize is a share of what Fifa expects to be more than $5bn in short-term economic activity generated from the tournament throughout North America.

In hopes of scoring a deal, state lawmakers and city leaders are cutting sales taxes on tickets and pumping millions of dollars into stadium renovations.

Missouri is among a handful of states that preemptively passed a bill to exempt Fifa tickets from sales taxes. Kansas City-area Democratic state Sen. John Rizzo said he expects revenue generated from Kansas City hosting the event to “more than offset” any losses on sales taxes for tickets.

“There are a lot of excited soccer fans that are hoping that we can get this done,” Rizzo said. “I’m hopeful, too.”

Seventeen stadiums in 16 areas remain in contention to be among 10 to 12 selected from the US for the tournament, which will be co-hosted with Mexico and Canada. The US will host 60 of the 80 games under Fifa’s plan, including all from the quarter-finals on, and there was little doubt over the venues for 10 games each in the other nations.

Fifa’s calls for tax breaks and other funding assistance led cities including Minneapolis, Chicago and Glendale, Arizona, to drop out of the running in 2018.

Lawmakers and city officials elsewhere appear more willing to make concessions.

The Republican governors of Georgia and Florida in May signed legislation eliminating sales taxes on tickets for World Cup soccer matches.

Missouri lawmakers sent similar legislation to Republican governor Mike Parson last month. He has not indicated whether