Boston’s role as World Cup host city highlighted by top sports, political figures

Top sports officials including New England Patriots owner Jonathan Kraft joined with Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and others to celebrate the state’s participation in the 2026 World Cup on Thursday and to help unveil Boston Soccer 2026’s local branding efforts. Gillette Stadium in Foxborough is one of 16 venues in the United States, Mexico and Canada tapped to host soccer matches for the international sporting event. Backers of the event say it could bring in hundreds of millions in economic benefits to the region while drawing more than 400,000 visitors. The last time Boston hosted the World Cup was in 1994.