Not all battles are fought on the pitch. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching, a $7.8 million security dispute tied to Gillette Stadium has escalated into a standoff between Foxborough officials and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s organization. And as the disagreement drags on, the old questions over funding remain unresolved, with Kraft making it clear he isn’t backing down.

Foxborough leaders have made clear that without a guaranteed source for the $7.8 million needed to cover police, emergency services, and other public safety costs tied to seven World Cup matches over 39 days, the town will not issue the event license required for the games to take place. With a March 17 public hearing approaching, the town’s position has left Kraft’s organization pushing back against what it sees as a premature conclusion.

“We are deeply disappointed that the town has seemingly reached a conclusion unilaterally without the platform of a public hearing, which is already scheduled for March 17, and would like to understand what the town requires at this stage to get to ‘yes,’” a Kraft Group spokesperson said in a statement on Friday, March 5.

“Despite these circumstances, we will continue to assist the town and the Boston Soccer 2026 host committee with their security planning in order to host and execute this historic event for tens of thousands of fans.”
But while Kraft’s camp insists it is still working toward a solution, town officials say the dispute is far from settled.

Kraft Sports & Entertainment (KSE) had already committed in writing to provide “sufficient liquidity to support the funding of certain expenditure of BS26.” KSE agreed to cover equipment expenditures not exceeding $1.51 million in minimum installments of $100,000. Kraft’s goal behind this decision was simple.

“Providing a stadium for the World Cup means shutting it down from all external business for two months, and we were happy to do it, as we are proud to showcase our home state,” a spokesperson said. “We are committed to working with our partners at the local, state, and federal level to ensure a safe and secure event and ask for shared cooperation from all parties as the tournament proceeds.”

But the officials aren’t sold on the idea that KSE and BS26 have actually reached an agreement. Foxborough Select Board Chair Bill Yukna was blunt in his statement. 

“Any suggestion that BS26 or the Kraft Group have adequately addressed the Town’s concerns is false,” Yukna said in an official statement. “What they have presented is essentially an agreement with themselves, but such terms are not responsive to the town’s requirements and will not suffice to address the Town’s needs for providing security services for these events.”

While the Kraft Group has already made its commitment, the town wants something more concrete. And it all starts with what that $7.8 million actually covers.

Behind the $7.8 million dispute

The figure is earmarked for public safety: police, security personnel, and emergency services across 39 days at Gillette Stadium. Seven matches with a global audience demand a security operation far beyond the normal game-day scale. But Robert Kraft’s company has reportedly only agreed to make the payments it deems necessary instead of all of them. And that’s not agreeable with the officials.

BS26, the nonprofit hosting committee, proposed paying all invoices within two business days of each game, with public safety demands ready by June 1. In a letter to the Select Board and Town Manager Paige Duncan, BS26 President Mike Loynd confirmed the organization holds $2 million in the bank, with at least $30 million more anticipated from state, federal, and commercial sources.

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But Foxborough’s pushback centers on that word: anticipated. The state and deferral commitments remain unconfirmed, and $2 million covers only a fraction of the total bill. For the Select Board, expected funds are not a guarantee but a liability instead.

Boston’s host committee and Kraft Sports & Entertainment recently presented their latest proposal to the Foxborough Select Board, outlining a plan that included reimbursing all security-related invoices within two business days and securing additional funding through federal, state, and commercial sources. The proposal also included a financial backstop from KSE for police equipment purchases totaling roughly $1.5 million.

Town officials, however, quickly rejected the framework, saying it still required Foxborough to front the costs before being reimbursed. “We appreciate that the Kraft Group and BS26 are moving toward addressing the concerns of the town but, to be clear, we have not reached an agreement,” Yukna said in a separate statement. “What they have presented is essentially an agreement with themselves.”

The Select Board, a five-member panel representing the roughly 18,000 residents of Foxborough, has repeatedly warned that it could withhold the entertainment license required for FIFA to stage the matches if the funding is not guaranteed in advance. The board argues that covering the $7.8 million security bill temporarily could expose the town to significant financial risk.

What’s more, Kraft Group’s conditions also state that should BS26 fail to repay the advances given by Robert Kraft’s company, Kraft Sports can claim possession of the equipment they have funded. To further complicate matters, BS26 has noted that it would be borrowing/leasing a lot of the equipment, and a breakup of purchased/borrowed equipment hasn’t been made clear.

Additionally, if BS26 defaults on any invoice, Foxborough retains the right to revoke the event license. That’s a brutal clause that could pull the plug on World Cup games halfway. KSE has acknowledged the matches are “not revenue-generating events for the stadium,” making its commitment “visibility” rather than a business strategy.

Local officials have also stressed that the town never agreed to shoulder security costs when Boston’s World Cup bid was first assembled, noting that the hosting arrangement was negotiated primarily between FIFA, the Kraft Group, and Boston Soccer 2026. For a municipality of Foxborough’s size, officials argue that even temporarily covering the bill could represent a major burden on the local budget.

All sides now need to find mutual ground, along with securing the $7.8 million for expenses. KSE and BS26 now enter the March 17 public hearing knowing the window to a ‘yes’ on the event license is closing fast.