San Francisco 49ers Face a $37 Million Concern as They Prepare to Host the FIFA World Cup in 2026

The FIFA World Cup is, without a doubt, the biggest sporting event on the planet, and it only comes around once every four years. In 2026, the premier soccer tournament returns to North America for the first time since 1994. Back then, the USA took on the hosting duties alone. But in 2026, they’ll be joined by neighbors Canada and Mexico as hosts.

The games will be played at 16 venues spread across the entire North American continent. Mexico has three host cities (Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey), while Canada has two (Vancouver and Toronto). The other 11 are in the US: L.A., San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Atlanta, Boston, Miami, N.Y.-N.J., and Philadelphia.

One of those host cities, San Francisco, is facing some financial trouble as it strives to meet its hosting duties. Each of the local hosts received $13 million from FIFA to put on their World Cup festivities. But the actual hosting costs are estimated at around $50 million. As David Skilling reported recently, that means the San Francisco 49ers will be left to foot a $37 million bill.

“Hosting costs are projected at $50 million. FIFA is putting up just $13 million. And the state of California? Governor Gavin Newsom’s revised budget has pulled out entirely, citing fiscal pressure from national budget instability and a $12 billion local deficit,” reported Skilling on his Culture of Sport Substack. 

“That leaves one of the NFL’s most valuable franchises staring down a potential $37 million bill. Not to renovate infrastructure or build new facilities. Just to host the games,” he wrote.

The City Council of Santa Clara (where the 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium is located) approved the use of that $13 million from FIFA for city expenses. However, that leaves the 49ers holding the bag for any public safety and other costs.

When the stadium secured a half-dozen World Cup games, it was viewed as a positive for the region. Hosting such events should be an economic boon for the city. But the reality has been different for many World Cup hosts in the past. And San Francisco is learning that the hard way.

“Cities that hosted past tournaments, from Johannesburg in 2010 to São Paulo in 2014, have seen inflated forecasts dissolve in the face of public cost overruns and uneven benefit distribution. In Santa Clara’s case, there is the added constraint of a local ordinance that prohibits the use of taxpayer dollars for stadium events. Ironically, that rule may now shield the city more than it limits it,” added Skilling.

The 49ers have their hands tied here. FIFA controls most of the key revenue streams like sponsorships, ticketing, and even in-stadium ads. That means the 49ers and the city of Santa Clara have to figure out how to cover costs relating to policing, crowd control, transport, and more.

Surely this was not quite the predicament the Bay Area was expecting when they bid for the honor to be one of America’s 11 World Cup host cities.