It’s never too early to start campaigning to be one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Washington D.C. making its case by launching an official bid Tuesday.
D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid, a native Washingtonian, is a co-chair of DC2026, the official bid committee.
“This is a huge honor that I cherish,” he said on an Instagram post. “With our deep soccer roots and diversity, the culture of our city gives us the foundation to successfully highlight FIFA World Cup 2026, and leave a lasting impact on the future of the game.”
In a first of its kind shared North American World Cup, it is expected the United States would likely have about 10 host cities, with Mexico and Canada to split the remaining six cities.
FedEx Field is the proposed D.C. site, with Audi Field one of potential practice venues. EventsDC chairman Max Brown told the Washington Post he expects the economic impact of a winning bid would be $500 million and approximately 3,500 jobs.
"D.C. is a world-class experience for visitors of all ages across the globe, with world-leading mobility infrastructure, culturally diverse neighborhoods and attractions, and importantly a proven track record in hosting some of soccer's most globally recognized moments," Brown said.
Washington D.C. was a host city for the 1994 World Cup, with RFK Stadium one of the nine venues utilized.
Neighboring Baltimore also launched its official bid to be one of the host cities, among a group of 17 that includes New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, Seattle and Philadelphia among others.
Those cities will be participate in a FIFA virtual workshop July 7. An in-person seminar in Dallas in March was postponed because of COVID-19.
