The Department of Homeland Security finally released hundreds of millions of dollars in security funding to World Cup host cities, less than three months before the FIFA tournament kicks off in North America.
FEMA announced on Wednesday that it awarded $625 million to the 11 U.S. cities hosting matches for the tournament this summer, to be distributed through the FIFA World Cup Grant Program. President Donald Trump earmarked the money in his One Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer, but the FEMA grants have been held hostage during a partisan battle over DHS funding.
DHS missed an internal Jan. 30 deadline to send out the FEMA grants, then said it wouldn’t be able to award them during the partial government shutdown that began Feb. 14. But a meeting last week between Trump, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, and Andrew Giuliani, head of the White House’s World Cup task force, appeared to have cleared the hold on the funds. Giuliani told host cities on March 11 that DHS approved the funding, Politico first reported. Earlier this week, Front Office Sports reported that stakeholders were still unsure when the funding would come through.
“This is going to be three to four weeks of nonstop overtime for local law enforcement,” Rep. Rick Larsen (D., W.A.), co-chair of the Congressional Soccer Caucus hailing from World Cup host state Washington, told FOS in an interview after the funding was released on Wednesday. “This is a cost obviously not built into the budgets for our local law enforcement officers, and it’s a bit of an all-hands-on-deck when you consider the numbers of people coming, not just to one game, but like in Seattle, six games.”
FEMA said in its announcement Wednesday that three different funding lapses affected grant processing.
“This grant program provides valuable funding to host cities, helping them strengthen security operations and protect their communities,” Giuliani said in a statement. “It demonstrates President Trump’s commitment to supporting our partners and ensuring a safe and successful tournament for all.”
The World Cup funding operates similarly to other federal grant programs in that the money will be distributed as reimbursements rather than upfront payments. That means the $625 million did not route to the host committee’s bank accounts on Wednesday, but they now have access to those grants that they did not have before. Only Foxborough, Mass., will get upfront payments after reaching a deal with Robert Kraft’s sports group and the Boston host committee last week.
Local leaders and organizers have been vocal about their urgent need for the funding.
Miami host committee COO Raymond Martinez told the House Homeland Security committee on Feb. 24 that “local agencies are very anxious” and said his city needed funding within the next 30 days. Kansas City deputy police chief Joseph Mabin said at the same meeting the grants are “critical” to hire enough staff for the tournament.
Rep. Nellie Pou (D., N.J.), whose district will host the World Cup final, told Front Office Sports earlier this month that local governments need “ample time” to organize security efforts.
Pou also told FOS she believed DHS was “100%” withholding the funding “for political reasons,” and that the shutdown should not prevent the grants from being awarded.
“We cannot allow mismanagement or incompetence to threaten years of careful preparation and imperil the security of the millions of visitors to the games,” Pou said in a statement on Wednesday. “I am hopeful with this money released host cities and law enforcement have what they need to make the 2026 World Cup a massive success.”
FEMA also recently granted $250 million to states hosting the tournament and America250 celebrations for policing drones.
