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Hans India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hans India
US host cities outline legacy vision for 2026 FIFA World Cup
New York: One year ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, representatives from all 11 United States host cities have presented plans to ensure the tournament drives long-term community impact, from cultural equity and infrastructure to youth sports access. At a panel held Monday at the Paley Center for Media in New York, host city officials shared initiatives aimed at strengthening cultural inclusion, expanding youth opportunities, and investing in public infrastructure. Among the most detailed efforts is Seattle's Chinese American Art Legacy Project, a 250,000 U.S. dollars city-funded program designed to highlight the historical contributions of Chinese Americans in the city's Chinatown-International District, reports Xinhua. April Putney, speaking for Seattle's host committee, said the project reflects the city's "people-based legacy" approach. "We're working hand-in-hand with local communities," Putney said. "It's not just about hosting matches, it's about who gets to be part of the story." In response to a question from Xinhua, Putney said that the Chinatown district - located just steps from the stadium - is central to Seattle's fan and cultural programing. "We want local businesses and residents to benefit directly," she added. Other cities are taking similarly localized approaches: Los Angeles is awarding grants to community nonprofits; Miami is curating a culturally immersive Fan Festival; Kansas City is piloting a new regional transit model; and Dallas is investing in youth soccer infrastructure and media capacity. While FIFA oversees the tournament's competitive structure, U.S. cities are focused on making the event inclusive and locally meaningful. Free public viewing zones, grassroots partnerships, and regional branding efforts are part of a broader strategy to use the World Cup as a platform for long-term civic benefit. The 2026 tournament will span 16 cities across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with the United States hosting 60 matches, including the final.
Forbes
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Trump's FIFA World Cup 2026 Task Force Can Alter How The World Sees The US
United States President Donald Trump's announcement about tariffs triggered shockwaves in global markets and grabbed headlines across global media. But an announcement last month—the formation of a White House Task Force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup—may be the one that shapes international relations in the long run. The task force announcement came during a scene inside the Oval Office. Trump, seated at the Resolute Desk with FIFA President Gianni Infantino standing alongside, said, 'We're going to be establishing a task force, a very important task force … and that's on the FIFA World Cup of 2026, which is, you know, is a big event,' Trump said. 'It's going to be the biggest event, I think.' When the White House announced formation of the task force, which aims to coordinate federal efforts for the 2026 World Cup, it was largely met with a shrug by much of the public. Critics dismissed it as an obvious move by the president or a political puff piece amid a flurry of executive orders and political maneuvers. That reaction, however, underestimates the scale of what's ahead—and the urgency of getting it right. The World Cup is more than a sports mega-event and the 2026 edition will be the biggest ever staged. It is a festival of sport, tourism, parks, entertainment, arts, and infrastructure that will be jointly hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Millions of people and billions of dollars will be flowing in, through, and around cities and communities connected to the matches. Worldwide audiences will be viewing and engaging with content through television broadcasts and digital platforms on a scale that is anticipated to surpass that of any previous edition of the World Cup. For the 11 host cities in the U.S. where matches will be played, the tournament's impact will extend far beyond city limits. Each of the 48 nations that win their way into competing for the trophy will establish a base camp in a separate location. Those base camps for team lodging and training will draw fans, media, and economic activity to dozens of additional communities. For more than a month, the World Cup will reshape transportation, security, business, and daily life for residents in cities and towns across the country. And it will shape the impressions that visitors have of those places, too. In addition to matches and team base camps, each host city will feature a FIFA Fan Festival. These are large-scale events for millions of locals and travelers to gather around music concerts, cultural exhibitions, sponsor activations, and live match-viewings in a select park, plaza, or downtown destination. They create opportunities for community engagement and economic activity, but also require significant coordination across security, traffic and transit, permitting, hospitality, customer service, crowd management, and health, safety, and emergency response resources. The sheer volume of travel to, from, and between host cities will present major logistical challenges. The World Cup will put unprecedented pressures on transportation systems, testing their capacity to handle millions of travelers in as smooth and welcoming a manner as possible. Research has shown that lasting impressions about visiting a place are formed by both how a person remembers a peak moment during the experience and how a person remembers the end moment of it. So, a visitor may have a meaningful time attending an event or exploring a city, but their experience entering and exiting—whether through an airport, a train station, a bus station, or a border crossing—can define how they remember it. What they then tell family, friends, and other people afterward can make all the difference in whether any of them choose to visit there in the future. Security is another factor. This ranges from standard safety measures and incident response procedures to scenario training, intelligence sharing, transportation logistics, and protection of critical physical assets and diplomatic security. Another aspect is travel visa processing—the system, already backlogged by years, is facing a surge in demand around the World Cup and at a moment in time when the Trump administration is enacting a stricter policy on entry into the country. The White House will also be expected to play a key role in delivering federal funding—$625 million has already been requested by U.S. host cities to help cover security costs alone. Given the magnitude of the challenge, is its full scope being fully-appreciated? The U.S.-Canada-Mexico bid for the 2026 World Cup was awarded in June 2018. While a White House task force like the one that Trump announced is typically formed years in advance, this particular effort is being launched only a year out from the event. For comparison, President Bill Clinton established a White House Task Force for the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics nearly three and a half years prior, and a similar effort for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics three years ahead of the Games. When the U.S. last hosted the FIFA World Cup, in 1994, federal preparations began in 1987, a full seven years earlier. Although announcing a White House task force a little more than one year in advance might raise concerns, it's worth recognizing that FIFA, 2026 host cities, host city committees, and federal agencies earmarked for the task force have gained significant knowledge and communication over time. Add to that the Trump administration having shown a capacity for swift and intense action when it sees fit. Even so, the demands of planning and coordination for an event of this scale push the bounds of most imaginations. FIFA President Infantino has likened the World Cup to three Super Bowls a day—or 104 Super Bowls—in sixteen host cities across three countries over the course of one month. That is a fair assessment from someone who surely knows. But city organizers for 2026 might plan for the atmosphere to be more like an NFL Super Bowl, a WWE WrestleMania, and a Formula One Grand Prix all unfolding in multiple cities at once. The social and economic implications are staggering. While there has been coordination in prior years, the formation of the White House task force marks a turning point. It's not just a procedural move. It isn't political theater, either. It is a signal that World Cup 2026 is no longer on the horizon—it is now firmly part of the national agenda. As the executive order notes, it 'underscores President Trump's commitment to showcasing national pride, hospitality, and economic opportunity through sports tourism.' This focus has the potential to shape the global perception of the U.S. and its cities for years to come. When the matches kick-off next summer, there will be no extra time for municipalities, agencies, businesses, and communities to get things right for residents, visitors, and the future fortunes of cities. The clock is ticking. And as if there weren't enough moving parts already, the White House task force order ties the World Cup to America's 250th anniversary celebration. Local governments, host committees, and FIFA will handle most of the logistical coordination, but federal involvement is key to ensuring it's done effectively. This reality makes the existence and work of the White House Task Force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup more critical than most people realize.
Miami Herald
26-01-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
500 Days to the World Cup: Security, fundraising top Miami host committee's to-do list
To most sports fans, Monday Jan. 27 is just another day on the calendar. But for organizers of the 2026 World Cup, that date kicks off a significant countdown: 500 Days to Go. The opening match of the next World Cup is June 11, 2026, at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The expanded 48-team tournament is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, and there is much work to be done. Miami is one of 16 U.S. host cities. Seven matches will be held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, including a quarterfinal and the bronze medal game. A FIFA Fan Festival will be held at Bayfront Park featuring broadcasts of matches on giant screens, concerts, cultural and culinary offerings, and interactive activities. The world will be watching. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar draw a global TV audience of 5 billion. Only the 2024 Paris Olympics matched those numbers. By comparison, the most recent Super Bowl in Las Vegas, an overtime thriller with Taylor Swift in attendance, drew 123.7 million viewers. The 2024 NBA Finals drew 11.3 million. Nobody is more aware of the scale of a World Cup than the leaders of the Miami Host Committee, Alina Hudak and Rodney Barreto, who worked together on six Super Bowls. Hosting a World Cup is akin to hosting seven Super Bowls in a span of five weeks. And Miami will be under more scrutiny than other venues after chaos broke out at the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia in July 2024, as throngs of fans (many of them without tickets) stormed Hard Rock Stadium entry gates, causing injuries, damage to the stadium and a delayed start to the game. Hudak, the former Miami Beach city manager, was appointed president and CEO of the host committee in November. She replaced Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, who stepped down to focus on personal and professional commitments. 'Obviously, public safety is very much part of my life,' said Hudak, whose husband, Ed Hudak, is the Coral Gables Police Chief. 'I know our new sheriff [Rosie Cordero-Stutz] well and have already met with her. As part of our staff we have a retired former police chief, who is very, very knowledgeable and an expert in managing large events, such as Super Bowls. We also have a retired Miami Dade major. 'Public safety is a priority, and I have been very, very pleased with the level of professionalism of the Miami Dade emergency management team's operating plan.' Barreto, chairman of the Miami World Cup host committee, added that the security plan will include layered perimeters around the vicinity of Hard Rock Stadium. 'I am not going to second-guess what preparations they made for Copa America; all I can say is we will have different perimeters outside the stadium, so if you don't have a ticket, you can't get past the first perimeter checkpoint,' Barreto said. 'That's how we keep people away from the stadium.' Hudak admits she accepted her role as a World Cup planner without knowing all it would entail, but her career in public service and history with big events have proven invaluable. 'My background does serve me well,' Hudak said. 'We have a responsibility not just to fundraise, but to lead the operational efforts within multiple jurisdictions, together with FIFA. It's a big job, but I understand how governments work, and I was on the other side being a funding partner in the past for big events.' Barreto said Hudak's transition to her new role has been seamless. 'Alina is a pro and perfect for this job,' said Barreto 'She's the top of the spear for Miami-Dade County. She knows everybody. She brings all the wealth of her connections in Miami and Miami Beach and other local governments.' Those connections are vital as Miami organizers attempt to secure $100 million in local sponsorship from the private sector to help offset the cost of hosting the games and ancillary events. FIFA's many sponsor restrictions make it particularly challenging. FIFA World Cup sponsor restrictions Like local Super Bowl host committees, who deal with NFL sponsorship mandates, local World Cup organizers are prohibited by FIFA from signing sponsorship deals with business sectors where FIFA has partners or hopes to. Each city is allowed to sign up to 10 designated Host City Supporters, who are not permitted to use FIFA marks or logos but have the right to use host city branding and have access to premium tickets and hospitality, and a spot in the Fan Festivals. A large cruise line would be a perfect host city sponsor for Miami, Barreto said, but his committee cannot finalize a deal because FIFA might be soliciting a global sponsorship in that area, leaving local organizers are in limbo. It is also unclear what perks they can offer sponsors, such as number of tickets and stadium suites. 'To be honest, we're a little frustrated with FIFA because they haven't cut us loose yet; they've kind of tied our hands with respect to what we can offer sponsors,' Barreto said. FIFA is so strict that it prohibits corporate stadium names from companies that are not official FIFA sponsors, so existing NFL stadium names will be covered during the World Cup and will not be mentioned in game broadcasts unless those companies sign separate sponsorship deals. Hard Rock Stadium will be referred to as Miami Stadium. Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be Atlanta Stadium. AT&T Stadium will be Dallas Stadium. MetLife Stadium will be New York New Jersey Stadium. And so on. All Hard Rock signage must covered or removed from the stadium for the World Cup, including the two 16,000 square-foot roof logos. The other part of World Cup sponsorship comes from the public sector, as municipalities, counties and states provide cash and in-kind services such as police and fire rescue, and paramedics. In May 2024, the Miami host committee secured nearly $36 million in public funding and services from Miami-Dade County. The commission approved $10.5 million to be allocated to the Greater Miami Visitors and Convention Bureau to be used for production of the events, and $25 million of in-kind support for public safety. 'I have been part of six Super Bowls, but I was on the county side, that person who was making all the resources available to the host committee,' Hudak said. 'Now, I'm the host committee begging for resources. So, I have that interesting perspective of understanding where the resources are and how you go find them.' World Cup Host Cities Other U.S. host cities include Atlanta, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, as well as Canadian cities Vancouver and Toronto and Mexican cities Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. Last week, FIFA hosted a two-day workshop at its Coral Gables office for organizers from the 16 host cities. The workshop included sessions on ticketing, hospitality, transportation, security, and FIFA Fan Festivals. According to Barreto, several host city officials complained during the workshop about lack of clarity from FIFA about what host committees are allowed to offer prospective sponsors. FIFA is working on getting the answers, Barreto said. In the meantime, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has a home in South Florida, told workshop attendees: 'Our purpose is really – and your purpose as host cities – is really to impact and change the lives of people. The FIFA World Cup is, as you know, much more than just a sports event. It is, and it has become, a social phenomenon, a unique social phenomenon that brings people together from all over the world. 'In our world where there are so many terrible things happening, to be able to be creating all together an event which will actually lift the global mood, spirit and bring so much emotion at the end of the day – emotion whether, you know, you win or you lose, you feel emotion – emotion, passion.' 2026 FIFA World Cup ▪ Dates: June 11-July 19, 2026 Host Cities: Miami, Atlanta, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, as well as Canadian cities Vancouver and Toronto and Mexican cities Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey. ▪ Opening match: June 11, 2026 in Mexico City at 87,532-seat Estadio Azteca ▪ Final match: July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey ▪ Semifinals: Atlanta and Dallas. ▪ Number of countries: 48 ▪ Number of matches: 104 (78 will be held in the United States) ▪ Seven games at Hard Rock Stadium: Four Group Stage matches June 15, 22, 24, 27; a Round of 32 match July 3, a Quarterfinal July 11 and the Bronze Medal Game July 18. ▪ Ticket info: Ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup are expected to begin later this year. To receive information on how to apply for tickets, register at
