Bay Area Will Recieve $8.8M To Help Prepare For World Cup

With less than 100 days left before the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off across North America, California state officials announced the Bay Area will receive just over $8.8 million to prepare.

The Bay Area is set to host six of 104 games that will be played at some of the most popular stadiums and arenas in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Games in the Bay Area will be played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.

"I'm proud to have helped deliver millions in federal investments for California that will ensure critical transportation and infrastructure upgrades are made ahead of the World Cup this summer,” Senator Adam Schiff said in a statement Tuesday. "These soccer matches will bring visitors from across the country and the world and boost local economies."

This year's World Cup — the largest ever with 48 teams — is predicted to generate a record-breaking $10.9 to $11 billion. Games kick off on June 11, with Mexico playing the opener against South Africa. The two teams also opened the 2010 World Cup opener hosted in South Africa.

The announcement of the funds comes as the Iran war and the killing of Mexico's top cartel leader have added a new layer of complexity to the tournament.

How the conflict will affect the world’s most-watched sporting event is the latest issue facing organizers already grappling with cartel violence in one of Mexico’s host cities, scaled-back plans for fan festivals in the U.S. and criticism from fans against soaring ticket prices.

AP News contributed to this report.