BOSTON -- Top sports officials including New England Patriots owner Jonathan Kraft joined with Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and others Thursday to celebrate the state's participation in the 2026 World Cup 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 the greater Boston area took part in a World Cup was in 1994.
鈥淭his is super, super exciting,鈥� Healey said. 鈥淲e're going to make the most of this opportunity.鈥�
Kraft owns Gillette Stadium through his Kraft Sports Group. The Kraft family also owns the New England Revolution.
Kraft said Gillette should host at least six matches. He also said the World Cup will highlight Boston's role on the global stage and bring together fans from around the world.
Each of the 16 host cities has their own branding and logo.
Boston's logo and branding incorporates some familiar elements of the city including the cobblestones used to create streets in Boston's early days and the Zakim Bridge, as well as a green, blue and orange colour palette.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the 2026 event will be the fourth time Boston has helped host the World Cup.
鈥淭oday we continue to be made richer, stronger, more vibrant and more connected by the communities from around the world who call this place home," she said. 鈥淪o it only makes sense that for the fourth time the world's game will return to the city of the world.鈥�
Kansas City, another of the 16 cities tapped to host World Cup matches, on Thursday announced the formation of KC2026, a nonprofit organization overseeing strategy and delivering host city duties for the World Cup.
鈥淲e couldn鈥檛 be more excited to host the FIFA World Cup," Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said. 鈥淭his means even more infrastructure investment, business development, talent recruitment and economic growth for Kansas City.鈥�
