FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States

Working on producing the best possible pitches for FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States 💪 This week, FIFA hosted its second Research Field Day event at Michigan State University (MSU) to meet with the teams working to ensure high quality pitches for FIFA World Cup 26™ venues and training sites. More than 40 specialised pitch managers, sod farmers and industry leaders came together at MSU, FIFA’s joint research collaborator alongside University of Tennessee (UT), to discuss best practices and new industry innovations. Since 2022, FIFA has been working with UT and MSU, two globally renowned research leaders who specialise in pitch management and player welfare, as part of an innovative five-year research and development project to deliver the largest ever sports turf research programme specifically for world football. FIFA Senior Pitch Management Manager Alan Ferguson said: "At this stage of the pitch preparations I am delighted with what the team have been able to research and already bring to life. "The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the biggest edition ever and our involvement in this will also be the biggest pitch delivery ever. We are fortunate to have so many of the top turf brains in the world working in country or remotely helping us along way."

Gearing up for FIFA World Cup 26 in Miami! 🇺🇸   The FIFA World Cup 2026 Miami Host Committee celebrated their first Board of Directors meeting at the iconic New World Centre.   FIFA26 Chief Business & Strategy Officer Amy Hopfinger was joined by Senior Advisor to the FIFA President, @Carlos-Cordeiro at the reception on Miami Beach, as many of the FIFA26 team gave remarks on the evening as they continue to prepare for the FIFA World Cup.    In attendance were Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, President and CEO of FIFA World Cup 26™ Miami Host Committee, Rodney Barreto, Co-Chair and Chairman & CEO of Barreto Group, Beau Ferrari, Co-Chair and Senior Advisor at NBC Universal, Daniella Levine Cava, Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Francis Suarez, Mayor of the City of Miami, Steven Meiner, Mayor of Miami Beach, Ana María Rodríguez, Member of the Florida State Senate, Chairman Oliver Gilbert, Miami-Dade County Commissioner, District 1 Office and Rodney Harris, Mayor of Miami Gardens.   Speaking about the event, Hopfinger said: “With its diverse and inclusive residents, world class beaches, museums and touristic hotspots, a booming economy and some of the best sporting infrastructure in the world, Miami will be one of the places to be in 2026.   “FIFA is proud to call Miami its home in the Americas. We’re also proud to call this Miami Host Committee team our colleagues and partners on this Road to 2026 and confident that the Committee will ensure the tournament experience here for fans, teams, sponsors and locals will be game changing in 2026.”

📍 Washington D.C.    The FIFA World Cup 26™ team was pleased to be back in Washington D.C. last week to conduct a briefing for Congressional offices on the high level of collaboration between FIFA, the host cities, and the government on the ongoing safety and security preparations for both the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ and the FIFA World Cup 26™.   The FIFA World Cup 26™ team met with federal U.S. government stakeholders, including Members of Congress and representatives of agencies responsible for safety and security and visas and immigration, among many others.    The visit builds on the already-close working relationship between FIFA, the FIFA World Cup 26™ team and the U.S. government, which included a visit by FIFA President Gianni Infantino in April.    The FIFA World Cup 26™ team thanks Congressman Darrin LaHood , co-Chair of the Congressional Soccer Caucus, as well as Congresswoman Sharice Davids, chair of the Congressional FIFA World Cup 2026 Caucus, and their colleagues for hosting the team and for their continued partnership.

Introducing the FIFA26 Future Leaders Intern Class! 👋   The latest group of interns have joined the FIFA World Cup 26™ roster as preparations for the biggest World Cup yet continues.    The 23 young talents, who have earned the chance to intern through FIFA’s partnership with Miami Dade College, will be contributing their unique abilities across various departments — from Safety & Security to Sustainability & Environment to Media & Broadcast.    Earlier this week, the interns had the chance to meet colleagues from other departments across the organisation at a Meet & Greet Breakfast on the office terrace at FIFA’s Miami HQ!   Intern Madeleine Stonbely, who will be working in Fan Operations, said: “I’m so excited that it was an opportunity we got at our college. I’m looking forward to learning from this diverse group of people, to see fully how FIFA works and to experience how everyone interacts on such a large project like this.”

Welcome on board, Verizon! 👋 The world-class network provider Verizon has been named the Official Telecommunication Services Sponsor for the FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States, as well as a Tournament Supporter in the USA for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup™ ! For the FIFA World Cup 26™, Verizon's connectivity services will play a vital role across stadiums, official sites and various parts of the tournament operations, in what is the first-ever deal between the two organisations. As an Official Tournament Supporter for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™ in the USA, Verizon will bring experiences for fans leading up to, during and after the games, including activations, unique giveaways, player meet-and-greets ahead of the tournament, and more. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: "Football unites the world, and to unite the world we need to ensure that everyone is connected. Verizon is joining us on this journey to make football truly global, and will create the network that brings fans, players, partners and media alike together in 2026. We believe in the power of unity and, together, we’re excited about how Verizon’s involvement in these two groundbreaking tournaments can help grow the global game.”

FIFA 🤝 LAYS FIFA is proud to announce LAYS as an Official Sponsor of both FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States and the first-ever South American FIFA Women's World Cup™ in 2027! As Official Sponsor, Lay’s, alongside an iconic portfolio of food brands, including Doritos, Cheetos, Tostitos, Ruffles, Cracker Jack, PopCorners, Quaker and Gamesa, will bring fans closer to the game than ever before with exclusive experiences, merchandise, consumer activations and more. The brand will break new ground at both tournaments by recognising and rewarding the “Fan of the Match” at every match, spotlighting those in the stands whose passion and energy bring the beautiful game to life and providing them with one-of-a-kind experiences. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “We’re delighted to extend this partnership with Lay’s and strengthen our collaboration as we head into a historic period for FIFA and the wider football community. After being involved in the last FIFA World Cup and FIFA Women’s World Cup, we’re proud that Lay’s has shared in our trust, vision and ideas for the development of the global game and has joined us on this journey into the future. Together, we will create special experiences for fans worldwide.” This marks a global extension of Frito-Lay’s successful role as a Regional Supporter during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and as a Tournament Supporter at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023™.

Preparations continue at pace for FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States!   The first in-person trilateral meetings between FIFA World Cup 26™ staff and government officials from the tournament’s three Host Countries (CAN/MEX/USA) recently took place in Toronto, Canada, to discuss visa and immigration related topics.   FIFA World Cup 26™ met with key representatives from fifteen agencies and departments across the three Host Countries representing immigration, foreign affairs, and security to share respective processes and policies, and to discuss collaboration opportunities ahead of the game-changing tournament. Attendees included officials from Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Border Services and Sport; the Mexican National Institute of Migration, Security Officials and Consulate; US State Department and US Department of Homeland Security.    After a positive initial meeting, FIFA World Cup 26™ staff will continue to work closely with the various levels of government across all three Host Countries as teams continue to progress critical planning and preparation ahead of the biggest, most inclusive sporting event in history in under two years’ time.  

Welcome on board, Bank of America! 👋   FIFA is proud to announce Bank of America as its Official Bank Sponsor of FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States.   The historic partnership underscores the global financial institution’s commitment to promoting wellness, supporting the pursuit of excellence and making a human connection and community impact through the power of sport.    Through this new partnership, FIFA and Bank of America will work together to support the growth of the global game and the tournament’s impact on football fans of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.   Celebrating the agreement, FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, said: “We are extremely excited to welcome Bank of America as a global sponsor of this groundbreaking FIFA World Cup. Bank of America’s commitment to community engagement both domestically and globally aligns with our goals for the tournament and beyond, while its support of FIFA on an international basis is a major milestone for our organisation as we continue to serve our game for the benefit of the entire world.”    

What does it mean to be a woman working in sport? ⚽️ Tiffany M. Shepard, Director & Senior Counsel, Brand Rights and Protection FIFA World Cup 2026™, represented FIFA this week at Swin Cash's 2024 She's Got Time Women in Sports Summit in New Orleans where she discussed her journey so far working in the world of sport. During the panel discussion, Tiffany gave valuable advice to women looking to carve out a career in the sports industry. She said: "Working in sports in fun, yes but it’s still work so you have to find your “why” and set your boundaries." "I took this job because the FIFA World Cup 2026 legal team is made up of amazing attorneys and my managers are people I look up to… and obviously, it doesn’t hurt to work on the largest and greatest sporting event coming to North America. "Don’t miss out on opportunities to build transferrable skills now. I didn’t start in sports or entertainment, but I gained enough experience over the years in brand protection, IP and sponsorship deals to make myself an attractive candidate for my current role."

Two years to go until the FIFA World Cup 2026™ - Canada, Mexico and the United States champions are crowned! 🏆 In two years' time, the FIFA World Cup 26 final will take place in New York New Jersey after 103 matches taking place across three host countries and 16 Host Cities. Register your interest in tickets here: https://lnkd.in/e38gdiHD FIFA World Cup 26 New York New Jersey™