SALT LAKE CITY / SANDY, UT (Wednesday, June 13, 2018) – Celebrating the United Bid of Canada, Mexico, and the United States – selected to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ earlier today by the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow – Utah sports luminary Dell Loy Hansen and Utah Sports Commission President/CEO Jeff Robbins congratulate the successful United 2026 bid, while highlighting the plethora of available world-class soccer-centric facilities already bustling in Utah, the “State of Sport.”
Due to venue size and field width issues, Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium was already eliminated from contention earlier in the bid process from hosting FIFA World Cup games in the United 2026 bid documents. However, various sites remain under consideration in the United Bid book, with site decisions for games and other certified facilities anticipated to be awarded in 2020 or 2021.
“Today’s historic announcement represents yet another milestone for soccer’s infrastructure in the United States, Canada and Mexico,” remarked Hansen, recognizing that Major League Soccer’s founding was borne out of the 1994 World Cup in the U.S. “We at Real Salt Lake, Utah Royals FC and Real Monarchs remain tirelessly committed to celebrating our community’s collective love for the sport, evident each and every day in our fan engagement, our Academy development, our charitable endeavors and our physical facilities.
“Working closely with our civic leaders and especially the Utah Sports Commission, under the guidance of Jeff Robbins, we expect that our venues across the Wasatch Front – especially Sandy’s Rio Tinto Stadium, the Zions Bank Real Academy campus in Herriman and other indoor/outdoor options in Logan, Orem, St. George, etc. – will often be utilized by both domestic and international federations in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World CupTM, eight short years from now!”
For the first time in history, FIFA’s 211 Member Associations were given the opportunity to vote on the host for the FIFA World Cup™ earlier this morning, awarding the United bid by a vote of 134 to 65. Today’s vote, which occurred a day before the start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ in Russia, also marks the first time three nations have been selected to co‐host a FIFA World Cup™ and the first time the FIFA World Cup™ will be played in North America in 32 years. The United Bid offers FIFA and its 211 Member Associations unity, certainty, and opportunity as they prepare to host the largest FIFA World Cup™ in history, which will be expanded to a 48‐team format.
“It’s terrific news that the World Cup will be coming back to North America in 2026, securing what will surely be the greatest global sporting event in history,” said Jeff Robbins, President and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission. “We look forward to working with the United team to further explore an opportunity for Utah to serve as one of the training sites to be used in 2026 with our partners Real Salt Lake.
“The arrival of Real Salt Lake to Utah in 2005 was a transformative development which has taken the game to unprecedented heights in the great State of Utah,” continued Robbins. “With Dell Loy’s commitment to create the Real Monarchs in 2015 and the Utah Royals FC just six months ago, we experience on a daily basis the fruits of the many outstanding clubs and programs that now span all levels of the sport, especially here in Utah. The return of the World Cup to North America will once again be a catalyst – a significant growth driver across the region, from which future generations will benefit for decades to come. The Utah Sports Commission and the State of Utah are excited to play a part over the next eight years in preparation for what will be one of the most unforgettable events of this century.”
The 2026 FIFA World Cup™ will be the first tournament with the expanded 48-team format and require world-class facilities and infrastructure to ensure a successful tournament. The United Bid of Canada, Mexico and the United States is uniquely suited to accommodate FIFA's high-level standards for hosting a FIFA World Cup™. Up to 16 Host Cities will be selected as venues for matches. Canada, Mexico and the United States also have a long and successful history as hosts - 13 FIFA World Cups™ have been hosted in Canada, Mexico and the United States, five of which have set attendance records.
Each of the United Bid's 23 proposed stadiums are fully built, occupied and operational, ensuring long-term use following the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In addition, the United Bid has 150 existing world-class training facilities, millions of hotel rooms and advanced infrastructure. The United Bid is expected to generate more than $14 billion in revenue and $11 billion in profits for FIFA, which will be shared with the 211 FIFA Member Associations, helping further develop and expand the game of football across the globe.
2026 FIFA World Cup Facts and Figures:
Number of Team: 48
Number of Matches: 80
Number of Players: +1,100
Candidate Host Cities: 23
Proposed Training Sites: 150
Projected Revenue: $14 billion
Projected Profit: $11 billion
Projected Economic Impact: $5 billion
Projected Ticket Sales: $5.8 million
2018 FIFA WORLD CUP WATCH PARTIES KICK OFF FRIDAY AT ZIONS BANK REAL ACADEMY: Real Salt Lake / Real Monarchs SLC will host FREE viewing parties for many of the top encounters of the 2018 FIFA World Cup at the newly-minted Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman, Utah. Fans are invited to indulge in the spectacle of World Cup matches starting with a matchup between Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Andre Iniesta’s Spain on Friday, June 15th at 12 noon MT.
Matches will be shown live on a huge 35’ x 20’ HD screen inside the climate-controlled, 210,000 square foot facility. Fans are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets to maximize the comfort of their viewing experience.
The viewing parties will feature food and beverage specials, prizes, and special appearances. Pick-up soccer will also be held on the adjacent field when available before, during or after each match being shown. The full list of matches being shown at Zions Bank Training Center is HERE.
The Zions Bank Training Center is located at 14787 South Academy Parkway, in Herriman, accessed ONLY via Mountain View Corridor, just southeast of 13400 South. Fans should enter the facility via the doors on the northeast side. Ample parking is available.
