Lexington World Cup watch party on hold as town awaits license from FIFA: "We have been under review for so long"
The FIFA World Cup is a month away, yet in places like Lexington, Massachusetts, their partially state-funded watch parties are at a standstill. The town is pleading for a license to show the games, and they are not the only town waiting for answers.
"Under review. We have been under review for so long," said Olivia Kelley, executive director of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce. "We have every partner in town on board, and they are not thrilled it's not a super done deal."
The Chamber of Commerce helped match the state's $25,000 grant to fund their series of events. They say FIFA's viewing licensing submission period ended in late February and early March, yet they are still waiting for an answer. It's holding up thousands of dollars in planning.
"We really need a license to celebrate soccer, is that a lot to ask?" questioned Sandhya Iyer, Lexington's Economic Development and Tourism Director. "The license means that we have to wait to make this happen, and it's the end hour of planning which is maddening. It's really hard."
They are planning 10 days of events that include different community groups, soccer clubs, and local restaurants.
"Tomorrow night we are having a planning conversation with communities, business partners and downtown restaurants to identify and find indoor locations for smaller watching groups," said Iyer.
Right now, the state's Economic Development Office is working to give WBZ a list of how many places have received a watch party viewing license, and how many are still waiting. Cambridge is one of the lucky cities that has made the cut.
"We were ready to apply when we heard and even started planning before any of the grant applications were available," said Matthew Nelson, Cambridge's Director of Administration and Operations. "We were happy to receive a $65,000 grant from the state. It's a matching grant, so the city had to put up at least $65,000 as well."
Cambridge had a team ready to go after receiving grants for the 250 Celebration. That group engaged in emails with FIFA during their process.
"Based on the application questions, it was really about the number of attendees, and where exactly," said Pardis Saffari, Cambridge's Director Economic Opportunity and Development. "We stayed on our application, helped answer questions, and tried to find meaningful activities free and open to the public."
They will have viewing rights at their parties which will include a stop at University Park Commons on Sidney Street.
While the Boston host committee was not involved in the application process, they are currently trying to get a response from FIFA.
"I would expect by the end of the week we will have answers," said Mike Loynd, CEO of the Boston Host Committee for FIFA World Cup 2026. "I can't say if they are all positive, but I can say we will have answers."
