[15 March 2018 – SANTA CLARA] – The San Francisco Bay Area has been included as an official Candidate Host City in the United Bid of Canada, Mexico, and the United States to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup™. The United Bid announced its list of 23 Candidate Host Cities that will be included in the Bid Book earlier today.
The San Francisco Bay Area is part of the most comprehensive and far-reaching hosting strategy ever developed for a mega-sporting event. The Bay Area is thrilled at possibility of welcoming the world to a united and inclusive celebration of football in Levi’s Stadium, offering an advanced and existing stage on which the world’s best players will compete.
The full list of Candidate Host Cities can be found below. If the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ is awarded to the United Bid, FIFA will select up to 16 Host Cities from the proposed slate of 23.
“Canada, Mexico, and the United States have joined together to deliver a United Bid that offers FIFA and its member associations the power of unity, the promise of certainty, and the potential of extraordinary opportunity,” said John Kristick, Executive Director of the United Bid. “We are confident that the combination of our 23 existing world-class stadiums, 150 existing elite training facilities, and our modern and interconnected transportation network can help FIFA to achieve new records for attendance and revenue which will allow the entire global football community to improve and grow.”
“On behalf of our many partners throughout the region, the San Francisco Bay Area is proud to be included among this dynamic group of North American cities that make up the United Bid Committee’s formal submission to FIFA,” said Patricia Ernstrom, San Francisco Bay Area Host Committee Executive Director. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the United Bid team and fellow host city candidates as we work to bring the FIFA World Cup back to the Bay Area.”
Canada, Mexico, and the United States require no new stadium construction to stage the 2026 FIFA World Cup™. The San Francisco Bay Area, along with the United Bid, will instead be able to work with FIFA to ensure the players, officials, and fans have an extraordinary experience at the largest FIFA World Cup™ ever staged.
Across every metric, the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ in North America has the potential to deliver something extraordinary for the San Francisco Bay Area, North American, FIFA, and for football.
The United Bid’s final Candidate Host Cities are:
Canada:
· Edmonton
· Montréal
· Toronto
Mexico:
· Guadalajara
· Mexico City
· Monterrey
United States:
· Atlanta
· Baltimore
· Boston
· Cincinnati
· Dallas
· Denver
· Houston
· Kansas City
· Los Angeles
· Miami
· Nashville
· New York/New Jersey
· Orlando
· Philadelphia
· San Francisco Bay Area
· Seattle
· Washington DC
About the United Bid Committee
The United Bid Committee was created by the National Federations of Canada, Mexico and the United States to manage the bidding process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™.
About The 2026 FIFA World Cup™
The 2026 FIFA World Cup™ will be the first tournament with the expanded 48-team format and will require world-class facilities and infrastructure to ensure a successful tournament. The United Bid of Canada, Mexico and the United States is uniquely suited to accommodate FIFA’s high-level standards for hosting a FIFA World Cup™. If the United Bid is selected by FIFA as the host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, up to 16 Host Cities will be selected as venues for games. Canada, Mexico and the United States also have a long and successful history as hosts – 13 FIFA World Cups™ have been hosted in Canada, Mexico and the United States, five of which have set attendance records.
About Levi’s® Stadium
Named Sports Facility of the Year for 2015 by Sports Business Journal, Levi’s Stadium is home to the San Francisco 49ers and serves as the world’s most technologically advanced and sustainable sports and entertainment venue. The $1.2 billion venue consists of 1.85 million square feet and 68,500 seats, including 174 luxury suites and 9,000 club seats, and was designed by HNTB and built by Turner/Devcon for the Santa Clara Stadium Authority. It is a multi-purpose facility with flexibility that has allowed it to host a wide range of events – including international soccer, college football, ice hockey, motorsports, concerts and various civic events – since opening in 2014. The venue is also expandable for major events such as WrestleMania 31, Super Bowl 50 and the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Levi’s Stadium is owned by the Santa Clara Stadium Authority, a public joint powers authority established to provide for development and operation of Levi’s Stadium to ensure the stadium serves the goals of the City of Santa Clara. For more information, go to www.LevisStadium.com.
