70 days out, concerns loom over World Cup

Nick Iluzada

As yesterday marked 70 days until the World Cup kickoff, some fans wagered on tournament favorites Spain and England clinching the trophy, while others worried about whether North America is even ready to host. Safety concerns are top of mind for the dozens of crowded events set to take place across the US, Canada, and Mexico: The US and Israel’s military campaign in Iran has compounded existing security anxieties related to the cartel violence in Mexico last week. Mexico’s government and FIFA assured the games there will be safe. In addition, there are now doubts about whether Iran’s national team will participate in stateside matches. Cash-strapped cities US host city officials warned lawmakers last week that World Cup safety is in jeopardy due to funding chaos and a lack of security coordination between local and federal agencies. Uncle Sam earmarked $875 million to enhance game security, but that cash is being held up by a standoff over Homeland Security funding in Congress. Mundial has run into municipal hitches…with the Boston-area town of Foxborough threatening to block the matches set to take place there until someone fronts $7.8 million in security costs.