As FIFA announced Miami among the 16 cities in North America that will be hosting the World Cup in 2026, the City of Miami, Home to Avid Soccer Fans From All Over the World, Celebrates

It’s official! The city of Miami is now a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, one of 11 American cities to make the final 2026 FIFA World Cup final list. Other American cities include Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York/New Jersey.

FIFA is the world soccer governing body and evaluated locations back in November 2021, with a formal announcement today of the final list that made the cut.

Miami locals, city officials, and spirited fans packed the popular pub Fritz & Franz Bierhaus in Coral Gables — a location that has long been associated with parties for watching soccer games and known for its big screens and comfortable atmosphere.

South Florida is home to many soccer fans or “football” fans, many of whom originate from Latin America, Caribbean and Europe. Some locals like Fort Lauderdale Strikers player Tommy Mulroy have been waiting for a long time — since Miami’s failed 1994 bid.

In that time, the city has grown to an international destination, has hosted 11 Super Bowls — of which six were at the Hard Rock Stadium and five at the Orange Bowl. The FIFA World Cup will be hosted at the Hard Rock Stadium that was custom built with soccer in mind.

While the Super Bowl draws a massive American audience, raking in 208 million in 2022, it is dwarfed by the World Cup that has billions of views. The 2018 World Cup held in Russia for example, raked in over 3 billion views — almost half of the entire global population.

The 2026 World Cup is expected to have 48 teams with approximately 80 matches, of which 60 will be played in the United States, 10 in Canada, and 10 in Mexico. FIFA advised each American city to prepare to host six games and the exact number will be allocated next year.

Further decisions and details will be announced only after the conclusion of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which will be held in November and December of this year.

Winning the spot for Miami was a huge achievement for the city after its prior failed bid in 1994. The final evaluation included a comprehensive review of stadiums, mobility and transport, revenue estimates from tickets and hospitality packages, revenue estimates from media and marketing rights, expected organizational costs, a proposed international broadcast center, accommodations, facilities for teams and referees, and FIFA Fan Fest locations (3 percent).

While Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium with a capacity of 67,518 is smaller than stadiums of Dallas, New York/New Jersey, and Atlanta, it is a high quality soccer venue that was built to FIFA specifications by the original Dolphins owner Joe Robbie. Robbie is not only a soccer fan, but also previously owned the Miami Toros and Fort Lauderdale Strikers. Current Dolphins owner Stephen Ross renovated the stadium further to resemble a European soccer venue.

The Hard Rock Stadium has also hosted other world sporting events such as the Miami Open tennis tournament and the Miami Grand Prix Formula One race. Miami International Airport also welcomes the most international passengers since late last year.

World Cup teams will be able to train at several locations such as FIU, Barry University, Inter Miami’s soccer complex in Fort Lauderdale with eight full fields, a 50,000-square foot training facility, and the 18,000-seat DRV PNK Stadium, and the Dolphins’ new training facility right next to the stadium.

The city of Miami will also be hosting several events leading up to game days. Tickets are expected to go on sale in 2025 with an average cost of $300 apiece and up.

The 2026 World Cup Game schedule will be announced in 2023 most likely. The tournament will start June 11, 2026 and be completed by July 12, 2026. Each host city will offer six games that include a knockout round matchup.