U.S. World Cup cities seek FIFA legacy funds

Eleven U.S. cities that hosted matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup contend that soccer’s global governing body owes them millions of dollars in promised legacy funding, according to a report published Tuesday by The Athletic.

Four executives representing World Cup host cities told the outlet on condition of anonymity that FIFA management had assured organizers each market would receive USD 1 million to construct mini-pitches and support social projects.

The dispute centers on whether FIFA will provide the community benefits that local officials say were repeatedly promised as cities absorbed the financial and logistical demands of staging the world’s largest soccer tournament.

For residents, the money could determine whether the tournament leaves lasting public sports facilities and community programs rather than only short-term commercial activity and event-related costs.

Promise mirrors Club World Cup funding

The reported USD 1 million allocation matched the amount FIFA President Gianni Infantino publicly promised to cities that hosted the 2025 Club World Cup.

Representatives of the 2026 World Cup cities subsequently asked FIFA officials whether they would receive the same legacy contribution and were told that they would, according to The Athletic.

Infantino did not make a public announcement covering the World Cup host-city payments, unlike his declaration for the Club World Cup.

The city representatives nevertheless said senior FIFA managers committed to the funding on multiple occasions.

FIFA declined to comment on the report.

Eleven U.S. markets involved

The U.S. host markets were Seattle, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey, Miami and Boston.

Those cities were among 16 host locations across the United States, Canada and Mexico for the expanded 48-team tournament, which featured 104 matches.

The World Cup ran for 39 days from June 11 to July 19 and ended with Spain defeating Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final at New York/New Jersey Stadium.

The Athletic report cited a tournament budget of about USD 2.7 million.

That figure was retained from the source material but could not be independently verified and appears unusually low for an event staged across three countries and 16 host cities.

Legacy benefits under scrutiny

Large sporting events are often promoted to host communities on the promise that investments in facilities, youth programs and public spaces will continue benefiting residents after the competition ends.

In this case, the reported legacy funds were intended to finance small soccer pitches and social initiatives in each U.S. host city.

Without the contributions, local organizers could face pressure to find other funding sources or reduce the scale of the promised post-tournament programs.

The disagreement also raises questions about how commitments between FIFA and host committees are documented, communicated and enforced once a tournament has concluded.