Lexington was one of 17 grant recipients in Massachusetts' $10 million World Cup watch party program, but the town's share has never been publicly disclosed. An investigation published July 15 by the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism found that Boston and Foxborough captured the bulk of the state's World Cup event money, despite promises of geographic equity from Gov. Maura Healey's administration.
The BINJ report, written by Chris Faraone, examined nearly $12 million in combined state funding and concluded that a geographic diversity mandate was effectively bypassed to keep the money in Boston. That total appears to combine two separate pools: the $10 million Sports and Entertainment Events Fund grants awarded in March for watch parties statewide, and a $1.75 million public safety grant round announced May 27. Of the safety money, Boston received $1.2 million and Foxborough received $242,000, according to the Boston Herald.
NBC Boston's March reporting listed the "Town of Lexington (Lexington Watch Party)" among the 17 awardees but published no per-recipient dollar figures. The state's official press release likewise omitted individual amounts.
The Lexington Soccer Celebration ran June 16 through June 26 on the Visitors Center lawn. The Lexington Chamber of Commerce organized the event, inviting local businesses, vendors, and FIFA-affiliated sponsors to set up alongside outdoor screenings of World Cup matches.
The path to the event wasn't smooth. After receiving its grant in March, the town waited months for FIFA licensing approval. Lexington officials posted a sign at the Visitors Center reading "Give Us a License to Celebrate Soccer" to pressure the international governing body. Healey assured communities on May 27 that approvals were forthcoming.
Lexington Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Olivia Kelley said in a May statement that "the Chamber is proud to support this international community event."
Healey framed the program as statewide access. "We've tried as a state to help out where we can, making $10 million available to communities around Massachusetts to host watch parties, because we know not everybody can afford to go to the game," she told Politico on June 19.
Other small-community recipients included Burlington, Weymouth, Greenfield, Easthampton, Everett, Worcester, and Lowell. None of their individual grant amounts have been disclosed either.
Boston-centric organizations received multiple separate awards from the same $10 million pool: Boston Soccer 2026 (covering Boston and Foxborough), the City of Boston, and Meet Boston were all listed as distinct recipients.
The FIFA World Cup final takes place Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Massachusetts hosted seven matches at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough between June 13 and July 9, with organizers expecting more than 2 million visitors to New England during the tournament.
