World Cup: Miami’s Bid To Host 2026 FIFA Soccer Event Moves Ahead

MIAMI, FL — Miami is on a shortlist of 17 cities vying to host the 2026 World Cup international, which would draw soccer players and fans from across the globe to the area.

Representatives from FIFA, the international soccer governing body, met virtually with Miami bid officials pursuing the 2026 FIFA World Cup Friday to discuss the logistics and operations of Hard Rock Stadium, according to a news release from the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau. Officials from the GMCVB, Hard Rock Stadium and Miami-Dade County participated on the call.

The group reviewed the stadium’s infrastructure, commercial potential, sustainability, overall fan experience and prior human rights initiatives.

The meeting is an important step forward in FIFA’s process to consider Miami as one of the potential host cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico for the 2026 competition, according to the news release.

Miami ranked No. 1 in the United States for 2018 FIFA World Cup viewership. The city also hosted El Clasico Miami in 2017 at Hard Rock Stadium, generating $15 million in ticket sales and becoming the highest-grossing soccer game in U.S. history, the news release said.

“Miami is uniquely positioned to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup and I am thrilled we are moving forward in the selection process,” Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. “As a top soccer destination, a world leader in hosting major events and home to a diverse, international community, Miami is the perfect place to host FIFA’s first World Cup in North America in over 32 years.”

William D. Talbert II, president and CEO of the GMCVB, touted previous large-scale sports events hosted by the city.

“After our record-breaking eleventh Super Bowl in 2020, and a College Football National Championship Game in 2021, Miami is ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” he said. “With five major convention centers, nine sporting/event venues and an endless amount of warm weather, Greater Miami offers everything fans can ask for. We are thrilled to be a top finalist in the 2026 World Cup selection process, and we look forward to working closely with our partners at U.S. Soccer and FIFA.”

The first public facility to earn Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) STAR accreditation, Hard Rock Stadium upholds a gold standard for cleaning, disinfection and infectious disease prevention to accommodate an overall capacity of 65,320 ticketholders, according to the news release. The GBAC is a Division of ISSA, the worldwide cleaning industry association.

The stadium is also a leader in sustainability efforts, successfully phasing out 99.4 percent of fan-facing single-use plastics in the food and beverage operation, starting with Super Bowl LIV.

“Miami is no stranger to hosting major sporting events and Hard Rock Stadium is the perfect venue for the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” Todd Boyan, senior vice president of stadium operations at Hard Rock, said. “We look forward to welcoming FIFA to Miami later this year so we can show them first-hand the leading-edge technology and first-class amenities we have to offer at Hard Rock Stadium.”

The next steps in the 2026 FIFA World Cup selection process include an in-person site visit in the third quarter of 2021. A final decision on host cities is expected by the end of the year.