Kristi Noem, the US homeland security secretary, has forcefully denied allegations of delaying federal funding for the 2026 World Cup, blaming the ongoing partial government shutdown for the holdup. In a post on X, Noem confirmed that no funds from the $625m grant programme administered by the Federal Emergency Management Authority (Fema) have been awarded yet. The grants, authorised last summer, are intended to aid US host cities with security and planning for the tournament, which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.
Noem's comments follow congressional testimony by host city officials who expressed concerns that without prompt funding, they may not have time to prepare adequately. Noem attributed the delay to Democrats, stating that Fema was in the final stages of reviewing applications when the government shutdown placed significant portions of staff on administrative leave. The Department of Homeland Security, which includes Fema, has been unfunded since 13 February after lawmakers failed to approve its appropriations bill. Senate Democrats have conditioned funding on the Trump administration placing new restrictions on immigration enforcement after fatal shootings by ICE agents in Minneapolis.
Democratic Congresswoman Nellie Pou, whose district includes MetLife Stadium, host of the World Cup final, dismissed Noem's claims as untrue. Pou noted that the grant programme's notice of funding opportunity listed the anticipated award date as 30 January 2026, well before the funding impasse. Officials from Miami and Kansas City also voiced concerns, warning that they may have to cancel events, including fan festivals, if funding is not released soon. Miami host committee chief operating officer Raymond Martinez stated that decisions must be made within the next 30 days, calling the situation 'catastrophic' for planning and coordination.
Congress and the White House have made no visible progress on ending the funding impasse. A Senate vote on Tuesday failed to advance a funding bill, with Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer criticising Republicans for not making meaningful attempts to negotiate.
