Signed, sealed and delivered: The World Cup is a full-go in Foxboro.
The Foxboro Select Board has signed off on an event license for the premier soccer tournament to come to Gillette Stadium, to be rebranded as “Boston Stadium,” in June.
“These matches will bring an excitement that this town has never seen,” Police Chief Michael Grace said moments before the Select Board voted to grant the license Tuesday night.
Grace’s upbeat tone came weeks after the police chief slammed the Boston Soccer 2026 nonprofit host committee for having a “failed strategy” in meeting the town’s public safety needs for the World Cup to go on smoothly in the suburban town.
But all of that is history, now. Boston Soccer 2026 and Kraft Sports & Entertainment, which operates Gillette Stadium, have agreed to cover all of Foxboro’s $7.8 million request to fund security personnel and equipment.
Gillette is set to host seven matches – five in the group stage and two knockout games – between June 13 and July 9. The World Cup is considered a SEAR 1 event, the highest risk level for public gatherings in the country.
“The security planning that’s been ongoing for this event has never stopped,” Grace said. “It has been going on for a year and a half, and we’re in a great place.”
Gary Ronan, an attorney representing Boston Soccer 2026, told the Select Board that the host committee has paid roughly $1.5 million into an escrow account held by the town. It has also agreed to cover public safety staffing invoices within one business day of receiving them during the tournament.
Ronan thanked stakeholders who worked together to pull off the agreement for FIFA to secure the entertainment license.
“You all have worked very hard and done what you need to do to protect the inhabitants, the citizens and residents of Foxboro,” the attorney told the Select Board, “and we appreciate your efforts, and we appreciate your willingness to work with us to solve the issues that were in front of us.”
The Kraft Group has agreed to backstop any funding gaps, emphasizing that its financial commitment is for the “full extent of deployment the public safety officials have determined is needed to execute a safe and secure event, which will exceed $5 million in addition to the $1.5 million.”
“We, as a community, have done our job,” Select Board Chairman Bill Yukna said. “We’ve protected the taxpayers.”