Press reports indicated that a number of American cities hosting the 2026 World Cup are demanding millions of dollars in unpaid funding from the International Federation of Association Football "FIFA".
The International Federation of Association Football became embroiled in a major crisis following the World Cup, which was held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico at the beginning of this summer and was won by the Spanish national team, ahead of Argentina.
Recently, a controversial plan to sell shares in the World Cup to private-sector investors sparked widespread anger in football circles, leading Gianni Infantino to cancel the proposal and lose the support of many FIFA officials.
American cities demand World Cup millions from FIFA
Now, a new crisis appears to have come to light, as the newspaper "Express," citing "The Athletic," reported that many of the 2026 World Cup host cities are still waiting to receive the millions of dollars they were promised.
The report added: "Before the start of the 2025 Club World Cup, which was held in the United States, Infantino announced that FIFA would provide a contribution of one million dollars (£743,955) to each of the 11 host cities for the national-team World Cup."
This contribution was described as intended to build football pitches and support various social projects, and after the announcement, the U.S. host cities for the tournament asked FIFA whether they would receive the same amount in return for their larger and more costly role in hosting matches during the World Cup.
The report claims those cities were secretly promised a similar one-million-dollar payment, although no official statement has been issued by the governing body, and the promise was made "verbally" by senior FIFA officials, yet the funds have not been paid to date.
The report confirmed that the International Federation of Association Football has earned the largest share of revenue from World Cup ticket sales, broadcasting rights, sponsorships, concessions, and parking.
Meanwhile, the host cities have borne the costs of transportation, safety, and security, including official fan zones, airports, vehicles, and stadiums.
Before the tournament began, the International Federation of Association Football "FIFA" promoted a report claiming that approximately $30.5 billion (£22.68 billion) would be injected into the U.S. economy.
The 2026 World Cup host cities were: Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey, Miami, and Boston.
