US World Cup host cities chase FIFA over unpaid $1 million legacy contributions
Eleven US cities that staged 2026 World Cup matches say FIFA verbally promised each a $1 million legacy payment but has not delivered, adding to scrutiny of president Gianni Infantino.
The promise
Before the 2025 Club World Cup in the United States, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced a $1 million "legacy contribution" to each of the 11 host cities, earmarked for mini-pitches and social projects. When the 2026 World Cup hosts, Seattle, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey, Miami and Boston, asked if they would receive the same, FIFA management repeatedly assured them verbally, according to four host committee executives who spoke anonymously to The Athletic. The assurances were given in meetings but never made public. More than two weeks after Spain beat Argentina in the final at MetLife Stadium, the $11 million total remains unpaid. FIFA declined to comment.
We take our social work very seriously, which is why we are in the process of building the FIFA Foundation United States. As part of the legacy of the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, we will contribute one million dollars to each of the host cities to support local social projects.
Host city costs
The US venues shouldered heavy expenses for security, transport and logistics while FIFA collected the bulk of ticket, broadcast and sponsorship revenue. Kansas City's World Cup committee received $86.8 million in public funds, and Missouri waived an estimated $15.6 million in sales tax on tickets. The MetLife Stadium, site of the final, invested roughly $13 million in a World Cup-ready pitch. The US federal government allocated $625 million for tournament security. Cities were also required to provide police escorts for VIPs and remove non-FIFA advertising from stadiums. No joint public accounting of costs and income exists, and several municipalities believe they lost money on the event despite the economic activity.
FIFA's financial picture
FIFA's operating budget for the tournament was around $2.7 billion, while the organization reported revenues exceeding $15 billion for the 2023-26 cycle. The 39-day tournament, expanded to 48 teams for the first time, contributed to those record figures. Two host city executives told The Athletic they were surprised that FIFA, having celebrated such revenues, would stall on payments of $1 million per city, sums that are tiny compared to the windfall the cities helped generate. Some host committees are now winding down operations, complicating the question of which entity would receive any eventual funds, and others are trying to finalize financial reports without certainty over the payments.
- Infantino announces $1 million legacy contribution for each 2025 Club World Cup host city.
- 2026 World Cup host cities ask FIFA if they will receive the same legacy payment.
- FIFA senior management verbally assures cities they will get $1 million each, but no public statement is made.
- World Cup concludes with Spain defeating Argentina in the final at MetLife Stadium.
- Payments remain unpaid; host city executives tell The Athletic they are chasing FIFA for updates.
Mounting pressure on Infantino
The dispute is the latest controversy for Infantino, who is already under fire from UEFA and other confederations over his failed attempt to bring private investment into the World Cup. The unpaid legacy funds, though small in the context of FIFA's overall budget, have become a symbol of the imbalance between the governing body's commercial success and the financial burden placed on host cities.
