FIFA urged to release promised World Cup funds to US host cities

Three weeks after the 2026 World Cup ended, the 11 United States cities that staged matches are demanding that FIFA pay the money they were promised for hosting the tournament.

According to the British newspaper The Athletic, football’s world governing body has yet to make the outstanding payments. The dispute has added to the scrutiny surrounding FIFA and placed its president, Gianni Infantino, at the centre of another controversy.

Infantino had previously promised each of the 11 US host cities a contribution of $1m. The funding was intended to help offset the substantial costs incurred by local authorities while organising matches and associated events during the 39-day competition.

However, the cities are continuing to pursue FIFA for the money and, according to The Athletic’s report, have not received a response to their requests.

Four senior officials involved with local organising committees described the situation to the newspaper. They said the host cities had repeatedly been told they would receive equal compensation for the use of their stadiums.

“We have repeatedly informed FIFA that the cities would receive equal compensation for the use of the stadiums,” the officials said.

The representatives asked not to be named because they were concerned that speaking publicly could damage their relationships with FIFA. They confirmed that, at the time of the report, none of the promised payments had been received.

The 2026 World Cup was the largest edition in the competition’s history. It featured an expanded field of participating national teams and produced the highest number of matches ever staged at a World Cup.

The tournament was held across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with the US providing 11 of the host cities referred to in the dispute. The additional financial pressure placed on those cities was linked to the scale and length of the competition, according to the explanation given when the payments were announced.

The reported failure to settle the contributions has created a fresh challenge for Infantino, who has faced renewed attention over FIFA’s handling of matters connected with the expanded tournament.

The cities’ claims centre on the commitment of $1m for each venue involved in hosting matches. Despite repeated attempts to secure the funds, the organising officials said the promised compensation remained unpaid three weeks after the World Cup had concluded.