A Miami-Dade County commissioner is asking for an immediate halt to funding towards the 2026 World Cup — and demanding those funds to go toward community services instead.
Mayor Daniella Levine Cava recently presented the proposed county budget for the next fiscal year. In it were major cuts to county services and staffing.
Now Commission Vice Chairman Kionne McGhee has said the tens of millions of dollars allocated towards hosting seven matches during next summer's soccer tournament should return to essential programs hit by budget cuts.
In a release, he outlined cuts to senior support services, summer lunch programs for children, mental health resources, testing of backlogged rape kits for survivors, cultural arts grants and nonprofits that provide aid to vulnerable families.
"I was proud to support bringing the World Cup to Miami-Dade, believing it would showcase our world-class community and drive economic growth," McGhee said.
"But the Mayor's proposed budget, which guts critical nonprofits and our county's Community Action Agency, changes everything. When our residents are facing the loss of programs that keep communities alive, safe, and dignified, spending millions on FIFA stadiums and events becomes indefensible. I can no longer support it."
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The cuts come as $46 million is set to be spent on FIFA World Cup-related projects,
"This is not fiscal responsibility—it is moral failure. Entertainment cannot come before humanity," McGhee added.
According to the Miami Herald, Levine Cava's office on Friday released a statement expressing her own concerns about the World Cup funding. “The Mayor expressed concerns when this funding request was first brought to the administration,” the statement read. “Those concerns remain as we balance critical needs in our community.”
The Vice Chairman's demands include the return of unspent or uncommitted funds to community service programs, all World Cup-related funding to be immediately halted and a public audit of expenditures for the championship.
The major soccer event next year will take place in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Seven matches will be played at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Valentina Sandoval contributed to this report.
