Philadelphia selected as the host city for the 2026 World Cup – CBS Philly

Philadelphia (CBS) – The stage is ready. Philadelphia has been chosen as one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

A viewing party was held at LOVE Park downtown and football fans exploded in excitement when their city was named the site of the World Cup.

Philly is in #world Cup 2026! Tweet embed pic.twitter.com/7sLInQX7p6

– Pat Gallen (@PatGallenCBS3) June 16, 2022

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“Yes, the real fans will finally show the world how amazing they really are,” said one fan.

“It was a lot of noise, it was like the best party ever. Everyone here in Philly is excited about it. People going like this are not even football fans, union fans, they are hype.”

Fans were a little nervous waiting for the announcement.

One fan said, “I was sick to my stomach but I knew in my heart we had it.”

Even Mayor Jim Kenny was a bit on edge.

“I was wondering what, God forbid, we didn’t understand what we were going to do with all these people out here and how we were going to get back to City Hall. But there was a time in my life when I felt more comfortable,” Kenny said, referring to the Eagles’ victory in Super Bowl 52, and that’s when Tom Brady got a Mary pass in Minnesota.

Regardless of the matches, city officials say the show is great for business and a big boost to the local economy.

And when 2026 comes…

“I’m so driven. This is going to be a historic moment for Philly, and it’s going to be a historic moment for everyone here,” said one fan.

The Philadelphia World Cup matches will be played on the field at Lincoln Financial Stadium. Link offers pure natural grass, which is ideal for international football stars and has been a major part of the city’s stadium for FIFA.

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It also has nearly 70,000 seats, an ideal location to accommodate thousands of football fans from all over the world.

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lowery says the organization is “delighted” to host the World Cup to Philadelphia.

“We are proud to host the highest level of competition in the game in front of a global audience,” said Lowry. “The City of Philadelphia and Lincoln Financial Field are well-positioned to provide the international football community with an unforgettable experience in 2026.”

pic.twitter.com/cL5M6eP7gg

– Philadelphia Eagles June 16, 2022

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will also be held in Canada and Mexico.

FIFA announced the 2026 host cities on Thursday: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver .

for you #world Cup 2026 Host Cities:

🇺🇸 Atlanta
🇺🇸 Boston
Dallas
🇲🇽Guadalajara
🇺🇸 Houston
Kansas City
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Miami
🇲🇽 Monterrey
🇺🇸 New York / New Jersey
🇺🇸 Philadelphia
🇺🇸 San Francisco Bay Area
🇺🇸 Seattle
🇨🇦 Toronto
🇨🇦 Vancouver

– FIFA World Cup (FIFAWorldCup) June 16, 2022

CBS3’s Pat Gallen previously spoke to Philadelphia Union coach Jim Curtin about choosing the city to host the 2026 World Cup.

“I’ve heard little hints in the various interior pieces that we are in a good place after being typically underdog at Philadelphia Union to be selected for the 2026 World Cup, but if it starts to pay off, the internationals will come to experience all the great things we have here. All the culture, All the wonderful enthusiastic fan base we have here. It would be something really special. “I would feel proud as a Philadelphian and I think it should be Philly’s 100% participation in the World Cup,” said Curtin.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenny issued a statement calling it “an amazing victory for Philadelphia.”

This is an amazing victory for Philadelphia and sets the stage for an unprecedented year for our city in 2026. FIFA has seen what we all know is true: Philadelphia is a welcoming, world-class city and we have the expertise to deliver a great experience to our teams, fans and sponsors alike. In the past five years, tremendous work has been done on behalf of this show, especially since we’ve managed to be delayed by several years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am very proud of the exceptional work we have brought to FIFA, and I am grateful to the many partners who have come together to support this bid, including PHLCVB, who led the shipping process dating back to the consolidated bid in 2016-2017 and Philadelphia Eagles, who made Lincoln Financial Field a place awesome. I would particularly like to thank Ambassador David L. Cohen and Dan Hilferty who served as enthusiastic chairmen of this show. Their commitment to vitality and success in our city cannot be overstated, and FIFA’s selection of Philadelphia as the host city reflects the strength of their civic leadership. For that, and much more, we owe them our gratitude.

Now, it is a waiting game for football fans all over the world. The summer of 2026 and the World Cup will be here before we know it.

The world is coming to Philly in 2026! pic.twitter.com/MzL1T16yPc

– PhilaUnion (PhilaUnion) June 16, 2022

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CBS3’s Keri Corrado and Alyssa Adams contributed to this report.