D.C. Announces Bid to Host 2026 World Cup
By • July 2, 2020 0 930
On June 30, Washington, D.C., officially announced its bid to be named a host city for the international men’s soccer championship in 2026. If chosen, it will be one of 16 North American cities where that year’s tournament — the FIFA World Cup (FIFA stands for Fédération Internationale de Football Association), held every four years — will take place. The 2022 World Cup will be in Qatar.
The bid positions the city as: “America’s Diverse Global Capital,” “Host to the World” and “Growing the Game.” The D.C. matches would be played at FedExField in Landover, Maryland.
“When the tournament comes to North America, it only makes sense for D.C. — the Sports Capital and District of Champions — to host,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “We are already a city united by the game, and in 2026 we look forward to uniting the world.”
Teams from 48 nations will compete in 80 matches: 60 in the U.S., including the quarterfinals, semifinals and final; and 10 each in Canada and Mexico. The 2026 World Cup, the 23rd, will be the first to take place in three countries. The U.S. previously hosted the tournament in 1994; it will be Canada’s first time and Mexico’s third. The “United 2026” bid was chosen over that of Morocco.
Co-chairs of the DC2026 Advisory Board are: Max Brown, board chair of Events DC; Mark Ein, founder and CEO of Capitol Investment Corp.; and D.C. United player Bill Hamid, who said: “As a native Washingtonian, I am proud to be a co-chair of D.C.’s official bid committee to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. I could not think of a more vibrant, inclusive or passionate soccer city to host FIFA World Cup matches in 2026.”
Visitors to the dc2026.org website can pledge their support and sign up to receive updates and — provided that D.C. makes the cut — to volunteer. The bid’s social media hashtags are #DC2026 and #UnitedByTheGame.
