In 2026, Levi’s Stadium will have a more active year than usual. It starts with the Super Bowl and continues with the hosting of World Cup games.
And the World Cup matches could end up being expensive for the 49ers.
Via the San Francisco Chronicle, the revised California budget from Governor Gavin Newsom includes no state funding for the World Cup.
The 49ers previously agreed to cover a $37 million deficit for the Bay Area Host Committee, if the committee fails to raise enough money to conduct six matches at the Santa Clara venue. The host committee has been seeking private donations. Both the committee and the 49ers have been lobbying he government for more funding.
The event is expected to cost $50 million to stage, with the project losing money.
Which leads to an obvious question. Why in the hell did Santa Clara make a proposal to host World Cup games?