FIFA, the international football governing body, announced today during a live-stream event that Orlando would not be one of the host cities for the 2026 World Cup.
Orlando was one of 26 finalist cities being considered to host matches for the 2026 tournament which will take place in venues in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The final host cities were announced as Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Guadalajara, Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Monterrey, Mexico City, Boston, Miami, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey, and Toronto.
The Greater Orlando Sports Commission (Website) led the unsuccessful bid to bring the World Cup to Orlando through an effort that began more than four years ago and included an estimated local investment of $40 million-$50 million for an aggressive public relations campaign, that if successful, could have brought an estimated $500 million to the region.
In 2014, Camping World Stadium underwent a massive $207 million reconstruction, which, according to the Greater Orlando Sports Commission, “… bolstered Camping World Stadium’s ability to draw new high-profile events.” While these renovations have led to more significant events at the stadium, the goal of bringing the most widely viewed sporting tournament in the world to Orlando, unfortunately, fell short.
The 2026 tournament is estimated to generate $5 billion in economic impact.
