Bipartisan legislation recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would authorize $50 million in funding annually to improve transportation infrastructure in the cities hosting Olympic and World Cup games.
The Transportation Assistance for Olympic and World Cup Cities Act would authorize funding that would be used to help host cities prepare roads, sidewalks, transit routes and other transportation infrastructure for multiday international sporting events. Cities would be eligible for up to $10 million per event per year. Events include the Olympics, Paralympics, Special Olympics, FIFA Women’s World Cups and FIFA Men’s World Cups.
U.S. Reps. Rick Larsen (D-WA), House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure ranking member, and Burgess Owens (R-UT) introduced the bill. U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Jerry Moran (R-KS) introduced a companion bill in the U.S. Senate.
“The World Cup needs world-class infrastructure to ensure teams and their fans can safely travel to and from every game,” Larsen said. “That’s why we’re unlocking millions of dollars in funding for host cities — like Seattle in my home state — to improve their transportation infrastructure before the opening whistle.”
The United States, Canada and Mexico will co-host the 2026 World Cup. Hosting one match can cost cities approximately $100 million to $200 million.