For the first time in over 30 years, the United States will host the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, naming Levi’s
Stadium in Santa Clara among the selected 16 venues. The Bay Area Host Committee launched the one-year countdown on June 11 at the city’s Youth Soccer Park with a plaque dedication, a commemoration ceremony and a youth soccer clinic, according to a committee press release.
According to Santa Clara Mayor Lisa Gillmor, who spoke at the event, a lineup of soccer players — from the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams and the San Jose Earthquakes — was featured to inspire the next generation of players.
“It’s all about the youth and empowering them to let them know that these are people whom they can look up to, be their mentors and talk to one-on-one through opportunities that we need to give them,” she said.
Stanford Stadium was the Bay Area’s first FIFA World Cup site in 1994. With Levi’s Stadium now set to become the second, Gillmor anticipates an arrangement that has teams training in Palo Alto and competing in Santa Clara, but the plans are up in the air. With this year’s tournament marking the first 48-team World Cup, the Santa Clara City Council approved a financial assignment agreement on Feb. 12, in which the BAHC will cover funds for public safety preplanning, event security, training and equipment to ensure “a seamless and financially responsible event,” according to a committee press release. With the sheer scale of this sporting event, Gillmor emphasizes that it will require coordination across the region.
“We have to rely on all of our sister agencies in the county and even as far as San Francisco to help us police and make sure that everybody who comes to Santa Clara is safe,” she said.
Inclusivity has been central to the city’s community-driven event planning. Namely, officials hosted a session in July to hear pitches for ideas and partnerships leading up to the World Cup. According to Gillmor, community members suggested mural installations, night markets, music festivals and Lunar New Year festivities to engage the city’s largest age group, the millennial generation, and the largest ethnic group, Asian residents.
Santa Clara plans to look for cultural programming tied to the countries whose teams will play at Levi’s Stadium once FIFA announces group stage teams expected on Dec. 5. For Palo Alto American Youth Soccer Organization Regional Commissioner Peter Chen, these kinds of approaches reflect the city’s diversity.
“It’s very meaningful for us to actually be a host because we are such a diverse community, and soccer itself has been a very diverse sport, so we can bring opportunities for children…and the international youth fans to see players from all around the world who they relate to,” he said.
Senior Oiva Suviala explains that developments have already come into place as the Bay Area prepares for the tournament. He references San Francisco’s Major League Soccer NEXT Pro team set to launch in 2026 or 2027 and planned upgrades for Kezar Stadium — which, according to a city press release, were secured by a $10 million investment, the largest to the facility in over a generation.
“I think they are trying to capitalize on the momentum of the World Cup here in the U.S. and try to drive that further, especially here in the Bay Area,” he wrote in a text. For the avid soccer player, this year will bring soccer’s local culture and accessibility to new heights.
“I hope that (Santa Clara) partners with local clubs because that’ll help a lot of kids who might not normally get a chance to feel a part of a growing sport community,” Suviala said.
