Scotland World Cup schedule plunged into doubt as Tartan Army face anxious wait

The staging of the Group C games against Haiti and Morocco at the Gillette Stadium, near Boston, Massachusetts, is under threat due to a dispute between the host venue and Fifa.

The town of Foxborough, where the 64,000 capacity stadium is located, is refusing to approve Fifa's licence to hold seven fixtures at the MLS home of New England Revolution until it receives a $7.8million payment for security measures from world football's governing body.

A meeting on Tuesday between local officials, Fifa representatives and stadium owners Kraft Group ended in deadlock with no agreement reached.

A March 17 deadline has been set for a decision to be made with the Foxborough town board adamant no licence will be granted unless all of their concerns and conditions are met. Without a licence, the games cannot go ahead.

Vice-chairman Stephanie McGowan stated: "We’re going to come in on the 17th and we’re going to have to listen, and if we’re not satisfied, there is no other time to tweak."

The Tartan Army now face an anxious wait for a resolution with thousands of Scotland fans set to descend on the Boston area for the match against Haiti on June 14 that will mark the nation's first appearance at a World Cup since 1998.

Scotland are then due to face Morocco in the same stadium five days later before completing their Group C schedule against five-time World Cup champions Brazil in Miami on June 24.

Foxborough select board member, Dr. Mark Elflman, expressed frustration at the situation. "I was expecting the same bulls**t that we’d got in the last two or three months,” he said. “They didn’t give us any more information. It’s sad. It should have been done months ago."

Foxborough police chief Michael Grace also hit out at the lack of progress ahead of the event despite assurances funding would be in place by June.

He stated: "We are less than 100 days away from hosting the largest sporting event in the world and can’t seem to find necessary funding for the necessary equipment that’s been identified in over a year and a half of planning.

"Waiting until June 1 is unacceptable. The solution is very simple - fund what we need funded and this issue is over tomorrow."

Mike Loynd from Boston Soccer 2026, who are assisting Fifa in the planning of the tournament, insists a deal can still be struck before the March 17 deadline.

He said: "We understand what they need. We totally agree with the requirements and are working through the details. I am still convinced we will get through that piece.

"We are very confident we can meet the financial requirements of this event. What we have now is a hard ten days of work."