ORLANDO, Fla. — The Greater Orlando 2026 World Cup Pursuit Partners has unveiled its new Host City Candidate logo in its bid to host matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The world’s largest soccer tournament will play out at 16 host cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Orlando wants to be one of those cities and it wouldn't be the first time. In 1994, Orlando hosted several early World Cup matches.
CEO Jason Siegel with the Greater Orlando Sports Commission says hosting even early matches would draw a lot of eyes on the City Beautiful.
“The World Cup in Russia, the final match, drew 1.1 billion viewers. The early stage matches draw 200 million viewers. In comparison, the Super Bowl draws a little bit over 100 million,” said Siegel.
The pursuit partners and the Orlando Downtown Development Board are also hosting a block party on Church Street this afternoon for the U.S. Women’s National Team’s match against Sweden in their final group stage match of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Fans are encouraged to arrive for the block party around 2:00 p.m.