With fewer than 80 days until Gillette Stadium hosts its first FIFA World Cup match — a Group F showdown between Haiti and Scotland on June 13 — Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday launched a centralized state website designed as a one-stop resource for residents and visitors preparing for the tournament. The announcement, made during a press conference in Framingham and reported by WBUR, came as 70 state, local, federal, and private-sector agencies finalize a security and logistics plan that Healey said is backed by $76 million in federal funding.
The new online hub consolidates transportation options, public health and safety guidance, and tournament-related announcements in a single portal. Launching this website is just one example of the extensive coordination underway for the event. Gillette Stadium, which will be officially referred to as Boston Stadium during the World Cup, is scheduled to host seven matches between June 13 and July 9, including five group-stage fixtures, a Round of 32 elimination match on June 29, and a quarterfinal on July 9.
Healey expressed confidence in the state’s plans. “This will be a safe, secure, and successful World Cup in Massachusetts,” she told reporters, as reported by WBUR. She emphasized that residents and visitors should know what to expect and how to participate, and that safety is the top priority.
Security planning is extensive. Secretary of Public Safety and Security Gina Kwon told WBUR that local, state, federal, regional, and private partners have worked on the plan for more than a year for what she called one of the region’s largest international events. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency will coordinate communication between involved agencies.
Massachusetts State Police Colonel Jeff Noble, speaking at the same press conference, said the agency will execute a multi-layered security plan developed in coordination with its federal and local counterparts. Attendees should expect a visible law enforcement presence, including uniformed troopers, canine units, and aerial support, Noble said. He also indicated that additional personnel would be operating out of public view to identify and respond to potential threats. Specific operational details were not disclosed.
A Funding Fight Resolved, A Dress Rehearsal Underway
Wednesday’s announcement followed weeks of uncertainty over whether the matches would take place at Gillette at all. The Foxborough Select Board had threatened to withhold the entertainment license required for the games unless FIFA or the host committee guaranteed coverage of approximately $7.8 million in local security costs. The standoff ended on March 17 when the board voted unanimously to approve the license after the Boston Soccer 2026 host committee, backed by Kraft Sports + Entertainment, pledged that the town would bear no financial burden. Under the arrangement, the host committee is providing advance funding for security-related expenditures with the Kraft Group, which owns and operates Gillette Stadium, serving as a backstop.
The state is also treating today’s international friendly between France and Brazil at Gillette Stadium as a full-scale operational rehearsal. The match, pitting the third- and fifth-ranked teams in the world against each other, is drawing fans from across the region and beyond and giving transit systems, security teams, and stadium operations a live test run before the tournament begins in June.
Haiti Opens the Tournament in Foxborough
For the Haitian diaspora community in Massachusetts and across New England, the stakes of the World Cup in Foxborough go well beyond logistics and security. Haiti’s national team will play its opening Group F match against Scotland on June 13 — the very first World Cup game at Gillette Stadium this summer. The match schedule also includes Scotland vs. Morocco on June 19, England vs. Ghana on June 23, and Norway vs. France on June 26, among others, but it is the June 13 opener that will draw particular attention from the state’s large Haitian-American population.
Transportation to the stadium will differ from typical events. The MBTA is expanding commuter rail service to Foxboro Station, a short walk from the stadium, for all seven match days. Express trains will run from South Station, and tickets will be available in early April through the MBTA’s mTicket app. Only about a quarter of the 20,000 stadium parking spots will be available. Transit officials urge attendees to use public transportation.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, runs from June 11 through July 19. Massachusetts is one of 16 host regions across the three countries.
As the tournament approaches, Healey said she feels confident in the teams assembled to deliver the event. For a region that has invested heavily in growing its soccer presence, the next three months represent a test not just of infrastructure, but of ambition.
