How’d the FIFA World Cup™ Get Here?

Last lesson, we talked about the history of the FIFA World Cup™.

Now we're gonna shift our focus to how host nations get decided,

and what planning looks like once that bid is awarded.

 

So what is a bid?

About six to eight years out from an addition of the World Cup,

there's a process for FIFA to evaluate "bids" from different nations that want to host the tournament.

For example, we already know that the 2030 hosts will be Morocco, Spain, and Portugal

because the winning bid was announced in 2024.

The planning truly never stops with these global events.

 

While it's significant investment of time, money, and resources to organize and plan,

 there is a ton of upside to being the host.

It helps create jobs, it boosts tourism, and it creates a lasting impact.

 

The joint bid from the US, Canada, and Mexico named the United Bid

was a proposal that outlined how the three countries could share the investment

and responsibilities of hosting.

Our strength of hosting in the US, Canada, and Mexico

is the ability to use existing stadiums, hotels, and public transportation

instead of having to build many of them from scratch.

 

In 2018, FIFA selected the United Bid, and they got straight to work.

 

At Coca‑Cola, our work really began in January of 2024,

around the time that I was brought into the project team officially.

(upbeat music)

 

With the host selected, major planning can begin.

FIFA has established her own office in Miami just for tournament planning.

 

A team made up of roles like venue management, hospitality, and security.

Operations is a big focus at this time,

meaning that there is planning around stadium selection, transportation, security,

and accessibility.

Teams are also set up to manage broadcast and streaming,

 to focus on ticket sales, hospitality packages,

and to make sure the match experience is amazing

for all attendees and the players themselves.

 

I mentioned earlier that there are 16 host cities,

three in Mexico, two in Canada, and 11 in the US,

where FIFA World Cup 26™ will take place.

Maybe one of them is close to you.

Originally though, 44 cities bid to host,

but FIFA chose cities ready for the visitors.

They had to have big stadiums, international airports, and lots of hotels.

Each of the 16 host cities have their own organizing committee,

responsible for planning at a very local level.

 

A host city team may have upwards of 15 senior members,

from chief partnership officer to project manager.

You might look at these titles here and think,

"Wow, they're all very high up,"

but host city teams need talent at all levels to fill out the work.

For example, each one of them has their own social media accounts and websites to reach fans nearby,

an element that could be fun to work on for people just starting out in the industry.

 

A global sporting event is one that unites nations around the world

around a shared passion, like love for soccer.

The FIFA World Cup™ is bigger than it's ever been

in both fan interest and the size of the tournament.

Selecting the right host cities with the right criteria help ensure an amazing experience for fans,

and that's where we start with planning and team building.

In the next lesson, Tiffany Stone will introduce you to more of the key players

Hard at work behind the scenes,

bringing FIFA World Cup 26™ to life.