England’s 2026 World Cup fixture against Ghana has been rescued after a major dispute over stadium funding threatened to derail the match.
However, a last-minute intervention from a billionaire owner has now resolved the situation and cleared the way for the tournament plans to proceed.
The controversy centred on Gillette Stadium near Boston. It is one of the venues selected to host matches during the 2026 World Cup in the USA.
Local officials, the stadium owners and tournament organisers had been locked in a bitter disagreement over who would cover the £6 million required for security, safety, staffing and infrastructure costs.
Kraft Sports & Entertainment, which owns the NFL’s New England Patriots and MLS side New England Revolution, initially resisted covering the costs.
The company argued that the stadium would be handed over to FIFA for 39 days during the tournament.
At the same time, the Town of Foxborough and the non-profit organisation Boston Soccer 2026 were unwilling to pay the bill or involve local taxpayers.
The dispute escalated to the point where officials warned that the stadium could lose its licence to host World Cup matches.
Such a decision would have forced FIFA to relocate seven scheduled fixtures, including England’s clash with Ghana and two matches involving Scotland.
Time was also running short, with Foxborough’s Select Board setting a March 17 deadline for the issue to be resolved.
As per The Sun, the breakthrough came when the Kraft Group, led by billionaire Robert Kraft, stepped in and agreed to cover the funding gap.
Thus, Gillette Stadium is expected to host several World Cup matches. Those include Scotland’s fixtures against Haiti on June 13 and Morocco on June 19.
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