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The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins Thursday, June 11, with two matches in Mexico, and continues into the middle of July at sites across North America.
Host cities include Los Angeles; Santa Clara, California; Houston; and Arlington, Texas, among many others.
So why is Phoenix, no stranger to hosting the biggest sporting events, not part of the World Cup?
It's all about return on investment.
Valley leaders shared the "just not worth it" opinion with other sports-crazy U.S. cities, including Detroit and Chicago.
Our sports, tourism, and government officials withdrew from the bidding process in 2017 after weighing the costs against the limited tourism benefits for Arizona.
World Cup host communities spent tens of millions on requirements, including security and transportation, yet the hoped-for massive crowds coming to those cities are not nearly as large as expected.
“Representatives of local municipalities, the tourism community and the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority (AZSTA) spent much time deliberating on a potential 2026 FIFA World Cup bid, including attending a conference for potential host communities and going through many steps of the official bid process,” AZSTA president and CEO Tom Sadler said in a news release.
“Simply put, the hosting model and potential funding commitment did not work for this community. The estimated cost of hosting this event could have been far greater than a Super Bowl – but with less of a return for the state’s tourism industry. As a community, we had no doubt that we could execute the logistics, but we must be fiscally responsible when pursuing mega sporting events.
“Given what we know now, we feel confident that Valley leaders made the right call in 2017."
Sadler made it clear the decision had no connection to Arizona's love for soccer.
"Indeed," he said, "the Valley has a long history of successfully hosting international tournaments, including Copa America and CONCACAF Gold Cup – and it has continued to host such matches since declining to bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup."
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix made strategic decision on 2026 FIFA World Cup bid
Continue reading...
Host cities include Los Angeles; Santa Clara, California; Houston; and Arlington, Texas, among many others.
So why is Phoenix, no stranger to hosting the biggest sporting events, not part of the World Cup?
It's all about return on investment.
Valley leaders shared the "just not worth it" opinion with other sports-crazy U.S. cities, including Detroit and Chicago.
Our sports, tourism, and government officials withdrew from the bidding process in 2017 after weighing the costs against the limited tourism benefits for Arizona.
World Cup host communities spent tens of millions on requirements, including security and transportation, yet the hoped-for massive crowds coming to those cities are not nearly as large as expected.
“Representatives of local municipalities, the tourism community and the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority (AZSTA) spent much time deliberating on a potential 2026 FIFA World Cup bid, including attending a conference for potential host communities and going through many steps of the official bid process,” AZSTA president and CEO Tom Sadler said in a news release.
“Simply put, the hosting model and potential funding commitment did not work for this community. The estimated cost of hosting this event could have been far greater than a Super Bowl – but with less of a return for the state’s tourism industry. As a community, we had no doubt that we could execute the logistics, but we must be fiscally responsible when pursuing mega sporting events.
“Given what we know now, we feel confident that Valley leaders made the right call in 2017."
Sadler made it clear the decision had no connection to Arizona's love for soccer.
"Indeed," he said, "the Valley has a long history of successfully hosting international tournaments, including Copa America and CONCACAF Gold Cup – and it has continued to host such matches since declining to bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup."
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix made strategic decision on 2026 FIFA World Cup bid
Continue reading...
