Focused on the goal: Santa Clara won’t spend any taxpayer money on World Cup upgrades

THE WORLD’S LARGEST sporting event — the FIFA World Cup — is coming to the United States in 2026, and Santa Clara is one of the only cities not breaking the bank to prepare, a data analysis by San José Spotlight shows.

The games will be hosted across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Nearly all of the 11 U.S. host cities have spent or are planning to spend millions upgrading their stadiums and improving other infrastructure ahead of the games, but Santa Clara’s Measure J from 20210 protects the city’s general fund. San José Spotlight compiled government budgets, meeting recordings and reporting from local news outlets nationwide to analyse how much U.S. taxpayer money is being spent to facilitate the World Cup.