*Boston World Cup organizers told Foxborough town officials they would pay for about $8 million in security costs* is crazy work. The lawyers representing Boston '26 never said that they would pay in full, always avoiding to mention the full amount which will be owed to the Town of Foxborough. Those lawyers even had the audacity to threaten them of breaking Massachusetts State law if they refused to issue a permit for WC matches. FIFA still won't cough up 7.8M USD for keeping that venue secure throughout 39 days. What a clown show.
New Zealand will set base camp in San Diego. 👋 Kia ora San Diego.The All Whites have confirmed that San Diego will be their Team Base Camp for the @FIFAWorldCup 2026 🇳🇿Read in full at https://t.co/zLcqRAnilz pic.twitter.com/K0xPCqOEZ0— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) March 2, 2026
It's crazy how all- about- the- money FIFA is. Can't they afford to just pay this and have this issue resolved and avoid the bad PR? It's pocket change for them. You just have to laugh at it all. I suspect the first time Infantino picked up a girl ( or dude) at a bar (in his thirties lol), he lost them because he didn't want to shell out the $20 for a taxi back to her/ his place. Sad.
A contract is a contract though. They should not be backing out of something they promised to give FIFA.
It’s ok. The Persian diaspora in California can field a team. According to a certain resident clown, there is no problem the international diaspora in the US can’t solve (or plaster over) for the 2026 World Cup. Who needs traveling fans or players?
That is quite a stretch comparing fans to teams with Geopolitical problems but you seem to conflate odd things together that do not make sense all the time so I will give it a pass for your consistency.
FIFA is having commercials during the mandatory (including for climate controlled indoor stadiums) hydration breaks. In my opinion, it is a North Americanization of sport I do not approve of. I have college football season tickets, and you always feeling like you waiting for TV commercials to end. Maybe a break and a tactical discussion won't hinder the entertainment, but it is being done for the wrong reasons. Unless more money, but longer games, are crucial to FIFA's mission of "growing the game".
It's inevitable. Most games were having drinks breaks or injury breaks while teams ran over to their coach, why not institutionalise it? The only Americanisation is the length. 3 minutes is way too long and just happens to be the typical length of a commercial break in the US. ITV, the commercial channel in England is limited to 12 minutes of ads per hour, so this actually takes them over the alloted time. They're going to use fillers. 1 minute per half would be ideal.
That's 95% of it. If it was 1 minute and only when weather justified it, then fine. Also, I have no idea what your point is with your first sentence. There are already stoppages for injuries so adding another stoppage is cool?
I have no problem for a 1 minute refreshment break each half at the discretion of the ref. For instance a player goes down the ref can make it an official break. If no "natural" opportunity arises he can call one anyway.
“This decision raises serious concern about the administration’s willingness to abide by its own agreement and statements regarding the issuance of visas for the World Cup.”@LAGalaxy’s Jamaican opponent in CCC may be short 10 players because of visa woes https://t.co/wslxnIwETU— Kevin Baxter 🇺🇦🏳️🌈🇵🇷 (@kbaxter11) March 7, 2026 How large is the Jamaican diaspora in Los Angeles? Any athletes?
Cuba vows to compete in World Baseball Classic despite US visa denials | The Independent For those who don't know, this is Baseball's version of the World Cup.
It was always unreliable. Foxborough officials said it is uncertain how much Foxborough gov't would receive from that FEMA grant: Massachusetts State govt takes first cut, Norfolk County gov't is next, and Town of Foxborough gets the leftovers. FIFA's FEMA grant strategy was always meant to leave the Town of Foxborough indebted, if they were dumb enough to rely on it. Even worse, Boston '26 lawyers want Foxborough to issue a permit for WC matches while their FEMA grant is on hold. This is why the New Jersey Fan Fest at Liberty State Park was cancelled: FEMA funding became insufficient with no money left for Jersey City gov't expenses.
According to Boston '26 lawyers, *FIFA has nothing to do with money being exchanged in Massachusetts*. Then you can see why FIFA won't pay for local expenses: it will set a precedent for other local gov'ts, where they can demand FIFA *emergency funds* if Foxborough town gov't receives any. Obviously, FIFA will rather screw Foxborough with a FEMA-branded condom.
Even if it is a 90-second break, it is all about product placement. Back in Feb 3, Conmebol's Copa Libertadores began enforcing a mandatory 90-second *hydration* break per half. One mandatory aspect of each break is that every athlete must hydrate with the tournament sponsor's drink. So, now you got athletes forced to consume products they might not want while at work. https://www.montevideo.com.uy/Depor...-la-Libertadores-y-Sudamericana-2026-uc952081 Libertadores 2026 hydration breaks forbid athletes' use of non-Coca Cola products (Move your mouse to reveal the content) Libertadores 2026 hydration breaks forbid athletes' use of non-Coca Cola products (open) Libertadores 2026 hydration breaks forbid athletes' use of non-Coca Cola products (close) Un aspecto clave que sirve para explicar esta novedad es Powerade (bebida isotónica fabricada por The Coca-Cola Company), uno de los sponsors principales de los torneos de la Conmebol, que además es el proveedor de las bebidas que se entregan a los planteles. Durante la pausa de hidratación, los jugadores solo tienen permitido tomar agua o bebidas isotónicas de la firma Coca-Cola. Si lo hicieran con otra marca, deben verter el contenido en caramañolas de la empresa en cuestión, que tendrá 90 segundos de publicidad. A key factor in explaining this new policy is Powerade (an isotonic drink manufactured by The Coca-Cola Company), one of the main sponsors of CONMEBOL tournaments, which also supplies the beverages provided to the teams. During the hydration break, players are only allowed to drink water or isotonic drinks from Coca-Cola. If they choose another brand, they must pour the contents into water bottles from that company, which will then receive 90 seconds of advertising time. Libertadores hydration break rule had its debut when players braved dangerous 52-degrees-Fahrenheit weather after 8.30pm in La Paz, Bolivia. https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/2030-fifa-world-cup-news-analysis.2133561/page-4#post-43470621
lol Just pathetic behavior from FIFA. Nothing worse than a cheapskate billionaire. It'll get resolved though. So many cities and towns in the area stand to gain financially. Not so much Foxboro because who wants to hang out there when there with areas like Cape Cod, Rhode Island and Boston as nearby options?
This is sad to see. But I'd just highlight that La Paz is one of the driest cities on Earth. On top of that, the players are extra fatigued because of the high altitude. Being thirsty is basically a constant sensation in La Paz, even when one is not doing anything.
I probably align with your politics more than most of the others in this thread, but realistically I do think a Harris presidency would have been better for the World Cup specifically. I didn't vote for her so this isn't a partisan point.