September 24 – FIFA has begun an operational tour of the 16 host cities and stadia that will host the 2026 World Cup. The timing of the visits comes as doubts have been raised over whether the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, owned by Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke, will pull out of the event.
Unrest has been growing amongst venues of FIFA’s preparation and the commercial terms they have signed up to. There is also competitive tension between the host cities for hosting of the opening game and final.
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment is reportedly unhappy that it can’t take upfront payment from selling sponsorship, tickets and hospitality, and wants the terms of the hosting agreement renegotiated. The SoFi Stadium, although having hosted a sell-out Gold Cup final this summer, doesn’t meet FIFA’s pitch size criteria, meaning that it will have expand the area by taking out a number of rows of seating.
Only opened in September 2020, the $5 billion+ stadium was expected to be in the running to host either the opening the game or final. The main rival for the hosting was always believed to be the MetLife stadium in New York/New Jersey.
But with FIFA president Gianni Infantino having been very publicly hosted at the New York Jets-Dallas Cowboys game at AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, Texas, and with Atlanta, the future new home of the US Soccer Federation, now favourites to land the opening match, Los Angeles and New York, the two sporting and entertainment capitals of the US look as though they could miss out on the showpieces.
Not all of US’s major cities were prepared to meet FIFA’s hosting criteria when the bids were submitted. Both Chicago and Las Vegas – for different reasons – said FIFA’s requirements were both unrealistically demanding.
Starting their operational tour in Miami, where FIFA have established an expanding base for the World Cup, Heimo Schirgi, FIFA Chief Operating Officer – World Cup, said: “Our focus is to collectively assess the existing tournament infrastructure and refine our operational plans for the city and stadium as we gear up to host thousands of fans here in Miami and millions across Canada, Mexico and the USA in 2026.”
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