FIFA Yet to Pay 2026 World Cup Host Cities $1 Million Legacy Funds: Report

Several U.S. cities that hosted matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup are still waiting for millions of dollars in promised legacy payments from FIFA, according to a report by The New York Times.

The report claims that FIFA verbally assured all 11 American World Cup host cities they would each receive a $1 million legacy contribution, but weeks after the tournament concluded, the payments have yet to materialise.

According to The New York Times, four executives from U.S. host city committees, who spoke anonymously to protect their relationships with FIFA, said the governing body repeatedly confirmed the payments during meetings despite never making a public announcement.

The cities affected include Seattle, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey, Miami and Boston.

Promise followed Club World Cup initiative

The report traces the issue back to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

Before that tournament, FIFA president Gianni Infantino publicly announced that each of the 11 U.S. host cities would receive $1 million as a “legacy contribution” to help build mini football pitches and fund community projects.

According to The New York Times, host city officials later asked whether the same initiative would be extended to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, given the significantly greater scale and cost of hosting the month-long tournament.

The executives told the publication they were repeatedly assured the same payment would be made.

However, no official announcement followed, and several cities are now reportedly seeking updates from FIFA over the status of the funds.

FIFA declined to comment when approached by The New York Times.

Host cities face uncertainty

The delay has created practical challenges for several organising committees.

According to the report, some host city organisations are already winding down operations following the World Cup, making it unclear which entity would ultimately receive the money if FIFA proceeds with the payments.

Others are preparing financial reports for local authorities but remain uncertain whether the expected contribution should be included.

Two executives told The New York Times they found it difficult to understand why FIFA had not processed what they described as relatively small payments, particularly after the organisation generated more than $15 billion in revenue during the 2023-26 commercial cycle.

FIFA’s operating budget for the 2026 World Cup was reported to be around $2.7 billion.

Billions spent by public authorities

While FIFA retained the vast majority of revenues from ticket sales, sponsorships, broadcasting rights, hospitality and concessions, American host cities shouldered much of the operational cost of staging the tournament.

Those responsibilities included transportation, policing, security, logistics, fan festivals, airport operations and stadium-related requirements.

Kansas City alone received $86.8 million in public funding to support its hosting duties, according to figures cited by The New York Times. That total included contributions from the states of Missouri and Kansas, Kansas City itself and other public sources.

The report also notes that Missouri waived state and local sales taxes on World Cup tickets to help secure hosting rights, while host cities covered additional costs such as creating “clean stadiums” free from non-FIFA branding, providing police escorts for FIFA officials and upgrading infrastructure.

Latest issue facing FIFA

The reported payment dispute comes during an increasingly turbulent period for FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

The governing body’s leadership has faced mounting scrutiny following the collapse of plans to sell a stake in FIFA’s commercial business to private investors, a proposal that reportedly sparked significant opposition within world football.

According to The New York Times, the unresolved payments have now become another issue facing FIFA as host cities continue to wait for clarification on whether the promised legacy contributions will eventually be delivered.