2026 FIFA World Cup: Orlando Misses Out After 16 Host Cities Announced Including Miami, New York
Photo: Harry Castiblanco/Florida National News.
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — After much deliberation, FIFA unveiled the 16 host cities across North America elected to host the forthcoming 2026 World Cup Final. The City Beautiful just missed the cut with competition rivaling across the coast. Despite their best efforts and a reported $10 million dollar bid, Orlando had to settle for second best. City rivals Miami did receive the nod but there are no guaranteed amount of games just yet. State officials were told to prepare for as many as six. However, FIFA will not release further information until after the 2022 World Cup concludes in Qatar.
The CEO of Greater Orlando Sports Commission Jason Siegel was obviously unhappy with the news. However, both he and Mayor Jerry Demings remained upbeat about the future of Orlando’s prospects. Siegel made it clear that everyone on his team from the top of the chain to the bottom exhausted every possible avenue for success. They were in regular communication with FIFA personnel up until 48 hours before the announcement. But when the program announced there would only be one city left and New York had yet to be called, Siegel and co. accepted their fate.
What the Future Holds
In terms of 2026 World Cup football, there is still work to be done. Jason Siegel mentioned that their communications with several National Team federations continue to be healthy. There are several fan engagement opportunities and soccer-related events that Orlando can still be a premier destination for. This news also comes off the heels of Orlando being the host venue for the Special Olympics. Siegel stressed that both their commission and the city of Orlando remain competitive with other big cities to secure bids in the future. His track record as CEO speaks for itself given the recent success of NBA’s COVID playoff bubble and subsequent March Madness bids.
Mayor Jerry Demings had a much more hopeful outlook despite his conciliatory tone. The intracity commerce between Orlando and Miami will be much improved by 2026. Which will no doubt lead to market impact in the city due to the overflow of visitors during any given summer. But Demings and Siegel are adamant that opportunities are very much still up for grabs despite this setback.
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Nicolas Vera is a sports reporter for Florida National News, part of the FNN News Network. | sports@floridanationalnews.com