FIFA promised 11 American cities $1 million each to host the 2026 World Cup. Months later, not one of them has seen the money.
According to The Athletic, four executives from host city committees have confirmed the payments haven't arrived — and several cities have reached out to FIFA directly, only to be met with silence. No response. Nothing.
What FIFA promised, and what it kept
Before the tournament, FIFA President Gianni Infantino framed the $1 million per city as a 'legacy contribution' — funds earmarked for mini-pitches and local social projects. A goodwill gesture from the world's richest football organization to the communities that made the whole thing work.
The cities that hosted games were Seattle, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey, Miami, and Boston. Between them, they absorbed substantial direct and indirect costs funded largely by US taxpayers. FIFA, meanwhile, kept the overwhelming majority of revenue from ticketing, media rights, sponsorship, concessions, and parking.
So the math here is straightforward: American cities carried the operational burden, FIFA collected the commercial windfall, and the promised $11 million total in legacy contributions still hasn't left Zurich. That's not a cash flow issue — that's a governance one. Any organization sitting on World Cup-level revenues that can't cut eleven seven-figure checks isn't slow. It's choosing not to.
Torres, the cap, and his Barcelona future
Away from the financial politics, Spain's World Cup hero Ferran Torres is doing the post-tournament press circuit after scoring the only goal of the final against Argentina — a substitute's finish that gave La Roja their second World Cup title.
Torres was spotted during the celebrations wearing a cap reading 'Make Spain Great Again,' which predictably sparked a reaction. His explanation was straightforward: "It was a fun moment. It wasn't about politics because, honestly, I don't understand politics. It was simply about being able to see Spain at the top again."
Whether you buy the innocence of it or not, the cap story is already yesterday's news. The more pressing question is what happens to Torres at Barcelona. PSG are interested, he spent last season as a squad player, and 21 goals and three assists in 49 games is a solid return — but it's the profile of a rotation option, not a starter at a club with European ambitions.
If PSG come with real money and a starting role, it's hard to see Barcelona holding him. His World Cup-winning goal just set his market value at its absolute ceiling.
