FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, December 13, 2024

CONTACT: Janine De la Vega, Public Information Officer | Director of Communications, 408-422-6396 or jdelavega@santaclaraca.gov

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – After just over a year of negotiating, the City of Santa Clara and the Bay Area Host Committee (BAHC) have reached preliminary agreement on terms for an Assignment and Assumption Agreement for the FIFA Men’s World Cup matches that are scheduled to take place at Levi’s Stadium in the summer of 2026.

As part of the agreement, all obligations under the Stadium Agreement with FIFA will be assumed by the Bay Area Host Committee with a commitment to reimburse the City for planning and event related costs, currently estimated to total approximately $12M.

“The proposed agreement with the Bay Area Host Committee will protect the City from financial responsibility for the upcoming FIFA World Cup matches,” said City Manager Jovan Grogan. "We are pleased that we were able to structure terms that both protect the City and provide the Host Committee with the certainty that they will have the City services needed to meet FIFA’s requirements. This is a win for all parties.”

Key components of the agreement include:

• The Bay Area Host Committee will assume financial responsibility for hosting 6 matches at Levi’s Stadium from June 13 to July 1, 2026, estimated to cost as much as $50M, inclusive of operating expenses, City charges, and capital improvements to enlarge the field of play to meet FIFA standards.
   
• Stadium Authority to receive up to a $6 surcharge on each ticket sold to the World Cup matches which will provide opportunities for the Stadium Authority and City to generate revenue from the event.
   
• Pre-event planning and training expenses are to be billed monthly and the BAHC will provide advanced payments to City for projected Actual Event Expenses, with 50% paid by May 1, 2026, and another 25% paid by June 22, 2026.
  
  
• In the event that BAHC is unable to meet its financial obligations to the City, the San Francisco 49ers will be legally required to cover the shortfall, with a portion of the ticket surcharge from FIFA games covering the remaining portion. The details of the San Francisco 49ers Guaranty obligation will be set in a separate agreement.

City staff and the Bay Area Host Committee will return to the City Council/Stadium Authority on January 28, 2025 for action on the Assignment and Assumption Agreement. The final terms of the agreement will be released in advance of this meeting.