A delegation of FIFA representatives recently completed a trip to the San Francisco Bay Area to inspect Levi’s Stadium as one of the potential host stadiums during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The 2026 edition of the World Cup will expand to forty-eight teams from the current thirty-two teams. Twenty-two cities across Canada, the United States, and Mexico are vying to be among the final sixteen cities chosen as host venues.
“The Bay Area 2026 committee was honored to host these two gentlemen and their delegation and have the opportunity to make our case to bring the world’s largest tournament to the San Francisco Bay Area and Levi’s Stadium,” said Bay Area 2026 Board President and San Francisco 49ers President Al Guido.
Delegation spends first day in meetings in San Francisco
FIFA Vice-President Victor Montagliani and FIFA Chief Tournaments & Events Officer Colin Smith led the twenty-strong delegation to the region. Last Friday, they received the Bay Area 2026’s proposal in San Francisco, held a press conference, and met with the Mayor London Breed of San Francisco, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, and San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo.
During Friday’s press conference, Victor Montagliani said the committee was not looking for what differentiated the Bay Area proposal from other sites but instead hoped that each location would accentuate their positives.
For the Bay Area, those positives include a mild summer climate, thirty-eight Fortune 500 Companies located in the region, and an ethnically diverse population that embraces and loves soccer.
The second day included a visit to Levi’s Stadium
On Saturday, the delegation traveled to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara for the in-person site visit.
They inspected the field, locker room, and stadium amenities. If Levi’s Stadium is selected, the 49ers will replace their grass pitch with a state-of-the-art grass field that FIFA requires for the World Cup.
“We’ve hosted international soccer matches, which do not let you play on a turf surface,” explained Guido. “We all know grass surfaces are healthier than turf surfaces and that’s the reason why we make the investment to have one of the best, not just in the Bay Area, but within the NFL.”
If Levi’s is selected, the local committee hopes that FIFA will host six to eight games there during the World Cup.
“I feel like we are in a really strong position,” noted San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo.
Multiple FIFA Fan Fests proposed around Bay Area
The delegation also visited potential team sites and training locations in the Bay Area and possible FIFA Fan Fest locations.
During the 2026 World Cup, the organization will create and run multiple FIFA Fan Fests across the nine Bay Area Counties, including four Fan Fests in San Francisco, three in San Jose, and two in Oakland. In addition, there will be smaller pop-up locations across the region as well.
The final sixteen stadium locations for the 2026 World Cup should be announced in the first quarter of 2022.