The 11 US World Cup host cities are facing a collective shortfall of at least $250m, due to a highly restrictive deal from Fifa that may yet see the federal government – as well as local and private funding – have to pick up the costs.
Some cities are so desperate that they are being forced into pitches for sponsorship to “local dry cleaners and mechanics”, in the words of various sources. Fifa’s own commercial contracts mean cities can’t even do deals with local convenience store chains, as their sale of food is considered to cut across primary partners, such as McDonald’s, all as the global governing body is set to retain virtually all of the $11-14bn revenue the 2026 World Cup is expected to generate.
