NEW YORK.- Several American cities that hosted matches of the World Cup 2026 They are demanding millions of dollars that, they claim, the FIFA he promised them, The Athletic reported this Tuesday.
Four executives from World Cup host cities, who spoke to the media on condition of anonymity, said officials from soccer’s governing body told them they would each receive $1 million in “legacy” funds to build soccer-related infrastructure and support “social projects.”
The Athletic reported that officials from those cities requested the payments after Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, will announce contributions of this type for the host cities of the 2025 Club World Cup in USA.
“According to four executives from host city organizing committees in the United States, who asked to remain anonymous to protect their relationships, FIFA management repeatedly assured cities that they would receive the same $1 million contribution for legacy projects, even though the organization never made a public announcement about it,” The Athletic wrote.
“The four executives said that this promise was made verbally by members of FIFA’s senior management and reiterated to the cities in different meetings, but the money has not been disbursed, so several cities are now asking FIFA staff for updates on those payments.”
Contacted by AFP, FIFA declined to comment on the matter.
American cities seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Kansas City, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Miami, Boston and New York/New Jersey were among the venues for the World Cup held in United States, Canada and Mexico.
A historic contest
The tournament, which was played over 39 days and expanded to 48 teams for the first time, contributed to FIFA’s revenue reaching a record $15 billion during the 2023-2026 financial cycle, according to reports.
The report represents a new setback for Infantino, who faces criticism from the UEFA and other confederations, as well as some sectors within FIFA itself, for its already abandoned proposal to open the World Cup to private investment.
