Complete Bid Book – United Bid

1
Integrated Hosting Vision and Strategy
The U.S. Soccer Federation sees the 2026
FIFA World Cup as the spark that will ignite
the growth of football in the United States,
moving it closer to the goal of becoming the
preeminent sport in the nation.
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As one of the only remaining major
developed nations where football is not the
dominant sport, the United States – with a
population of 326 million people – offers the
most immediate opportunity to grow the
global game with a new influx of players,
coaches, referees, and fans.
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Specifically, the second FIFA World Cup
in the U.S. – and the first in the U.S. in
the age of social media – will bring
unprecedented attention to the sport. It will
raise the profile of football in the United
States dramatically. Just as the FIFA Men’s
World Cup 1994 and the FIFA Women’s
World Cup 1999 helped inspire new
leagues and a new generation of athletes
in the U.S., the FIFA World Cup in 2026
will help bring millions of young people
not currently affiliated with U.S. Soccer –
including from underserved and
immigrant communities – into the
ranks as registered players.
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Over the coming decade, the 2026 FIFA
World Cup will prove to be the catalyst to
generating hundreds of millions of dollars
that can be invested into making football
in the United States more affordable,
developing players and growing the
game, at all levels.
This growth will help to weave football into the
fabric of the country as it is in other parts of
the world. Millions more young boys and girls
across the United States will share in the
excitement and passion of football. More
families – children, parents, and grandparents
– will watch matches together and pass their
love of the game down from generation to
generation. And as football becomes core to
the culture, it will be a unifying force that helps
bring people in the United States together,
both on and off the field.
We cannot say with certainty what the
world will look like in 2026. However, we do
know that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be
the largest single sporting event the world
has ever seen. And football – more than any
other sport – is truly the world’s game. In
challenging times, when forces too often pull
us apart, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will
remind us of the common values and ideals
– humanity, friendship, and mutual respect
– that unite us as fellow human beings.
This is the vision.
This is the mission.
1.2 Government Vision and Alignment
Great events leave behind great legacies,
including programs and ideas that benefit
individuals, communities, and countries. Great
legacies leave behind a public empowered
with skills, experience, and direction to shape
future generations. The best legacies have an
impact that is both immediate and enduring
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