A new report from the state says there are "multiple funding challenges" and late-stage "planning obstacles" that still need to be answered as Massachusetts prepares to host the FIFA World Cup in 2026.

"The first Boston Stadium matches are just six months away, and there are several unknowns," the report from the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security says. 

The state's report looks at public safety planning and transportation strategies ahead of the World Cup, and how to pay for it all. It says "tremendous progress" has been made and "our state is well positioned for a successful event."

"However, the World Cup does not come without its challenges," the report states.

Where will the Boston World Cup fan festival be?

For example, it's still not known where the official World Cup fan festival will be held. The FIFA FanFest is the "primary public viewing event," the report says, and "a key component to the fan experience and celebration."

"Until the location is identified, planning, coordination and preparation is limited and projected costs may need to be updated once a location is finalized," the report states.

The Boston Globe reported last month that it may be late January before organizers announce where soccer fans can gather in the city to watch the matches. Boston 2026 CEO Mike Loynd told the newspaper, "We're still in the safe zone ― it is getting tight, but we're still OK."

Additionally, the report says team hotels and practice spaces have not yet been identified.

World Cup costs

The report says Massachusetts is eligible for $46 million in federal grants for World Cup security and preparedness, though it calls the grant program process "unusual."

"Specifically, the sources, allocation, control, responsibility, and accountability for funding are still being negotiated and understood," the report says. "The state's role has been defined by the federal government as a pass-through for funding, which has limited the state's control and authority over the existing funding."

Paying for transportation "has similar complications."

"There is currently an effort to establish federal funding within existing Federal Transit Administration grant programs that will supplement any state transit funds," the report says.

The Legislature approved $10 million last year to support World Cup security and transportation, the State House News Service reports.

Boston World Cup matches

A total of seven matches are being played at Gillette Stadium. The first will be June 13, 2026 between Haiti and Scotland.

Norway, Morocco, England, Ghana and France will also play in Foxboro, as could Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname. The last match will be a quarterfinal on July 9.