Not all battles are fought on the pitch. With FIFA’s 2026 World Cup months away, a $7.8 million security dispute at Gillette Stadium has turned into a full standoff. And New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft’s company is done waiting.

“We are deeply disappointed that the town has seemingly reached a conclusion unilaterally without the platform of a public hearing, which is already scheduled for March 17, and would like to understand what the town requires at this stage to get to ‘yes,’” a Kraft Group spokesperson said in a statement on Friday, March 5.

Foxborough’s officials had set a March 17 deadline to secure $7.8 million in public safety funding for seven World Cup games over 39 days at Gillette Stadium this summer. If there’s no guaranteed source for the money, there won’t be an event license either. But Robert Kraft isn’t backing out.

“Despite these circumstances, we will continue to assist the town and the Boston Soccer 2026 host committee with their security planning in order to host and execute this historic event for tens of thousands of fans.”

Kraft Sports & Entertainment (KSE) had already committed in writing to provide “sufficient liquidity to support the funding of certain expenditure of BS26.” KSE agreed to cover equipment expenditures not exceeding $1.51 million in minimum installments of $100,000. Kraft’s goal behind this decision was simple.

“Providing a stadium for the World Cup means shutting it down from all external business for two months, and we were happy to do it, as we are proud to showcase our home state,” a spokesperson said. “We are committed to working with our partners at the local, state, and federal level to ensure a safe and secure event and ask for shared cooperation from all parties as the tournament proceeds.”

But the officials aren’t sold on the idea that KSE and BS26 have actually reached an agreement. Foxborough Select Board Chair Bill Yukna was blunt in his statement. 

“Any suggestion that BS26 or the Kraft Group have adequately addressed the Town’s concerns is false,” Yukna said in an official statement. “What they have presented is essentially an agreement with themselves, but such terms are not responsive to the town’s requirements and will not suffice to address the Town’s needs for providing security services for these events.”

While the Kraft Group has already made its commitment, the town wants something more concrete. And it all starts with what that $7.8 million actually covers.

Behind the $7.8 million dispute

The figure is earmarked for public safety: police, security personnel, and emergency services across 39 days at Gillette Stadium. Seven matches with a global audience demand a security operation far beyond the normal game-day scale. But Robert Kraft’s company has reportedly only agreed to make the payments it deems necessary instead of all of them. And that’s not agreeable with the officials.

BS26, the nonprofit hosting committee, proposed paying all invoices within two business days of each game, with public safety demands ready by June 1. In a letter to the Select Board and Town Manager Paige Duncan, BS26 President Mike Loynd confirmed the organization holds $2 million in the bank, with at least $30 million more anticipated from state, federal, and commercial sources.

But Foxborough’s pushback centers on that word: anticipated. The state and deferral commitments remain unconfirmed, and $2 million covers only a fraction of the total bill. For the Select Board, expected funds are not a guarantee but a liability instead.

What’s more, Kraft Group’s conditions also state that should BS26 fail to repay the advances given by Robert Kraft’s company, Kraft Sports can claim possession of the equipment they have funded. To further complicate matters, BS26 has noted that it would be borrowing/leasing a lot of the equipment, and a breakup of purchased/borrowed equipment hasn’t been made clear.

Additionally, if BS26 defaults on any invoice, Foxborough retains the right to revoke the event license. That’s a brutal clause that could pull the plug on World Cup games halfway. KSE has acknowledged the matches are “not revenue-generating events for the stadium,” making its commitment “visibility” rather than a business strategy.

All sides now need to find mutual ground, along with securing the $7.8 million for expenses. KSE and BS26 now enter the March 17 public hearing knowing the window to a ‘yes’ on the event license is closing fast.