Philadelphia Soccer 2026

PHILADELPHIA SOCCER 2026 (PS2026) IS AN INDEPENDENT, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CHARTERED IN 2020. PS2026 HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS THE ORGANIZATION TO SUPERVISE AND IMPLEMENT PHILADELPHIAS BID TO HOST THE FIFA WORLD CUP (FIFA) MATCHES IN 2026. PS2026 HAS ENGAGED IN A CAMPAIGN TO DRIVE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, INCREASE BID AWARENESS, AND MANAGE REQUESTS FROM FIFA. PHILADELPHIA WILL HAVE AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE HUMAN RIGHTS AND HAVE A SOCIAL IMPACT IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY IF SELECTED AS A HOST CITY FOR FIFA

PUBLIC AWARENESS & ENGAGEMENT PHILADELPHIA SOCCER 2026 IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DRIVING COMMUNITY ENTHUSIASM AND ENGAGEMENT AROUND THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA'S DESIRE TO HOST SOCCER MATCHES DURING FIFA WORLD CUP 2026. ITS EFFORTS ARE MEANT TO ENSURE THAT RESIDENTS IN THE 5-COUNTY PHILADELPHIA AREA, SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY AND DELAWARE KNOW OF THIS EVENT'S POTENTIAL TO DRIVE POSITIVE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL IMPACT ACROSS THE REGION. THE PITCH AT THE INDEPENDENCE VISITORS CENTER AS PART OF ITS PUBLIC AWARENESS AND ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS PHILADELPHIA SOCCER 2026 OPENED "THE PITCH" AT THE INDEPENDENCE VISITOR CENTER (IVC) ON JUNE 29, 2021. THIS INTERACTIVE EXHIBIT SERVED AS THE HOME FOR BID ACTIVITIES THROUGH THE FALL WHILE ENGAGING THOSE VISITING THE IVC IN PHILADELPHIA'S EFFORTS TO HOST WORLD CUP MATCHES IN 2026. JOINED BY MAYOR JIM KENNEY, PHILADELPHIA SOCCER 2026 NAMED TWELVE YOUTH SOCCER PLAYERS AS OFFICIAL YOUTH AMBASSADORS FOR PHILADELPHIA SOCCER 2026 AND APPOINTED AS A NEW HONORARY CO-CHAIR, HEATHER MITTS, THE THREE-TIME WOMEN'S OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST IN SOCCER. PARTNERING WITH WAWA, THE WAWA WELCOME AMERICA FESTIVAL, THE PHILADELPHIA UNION, EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA YOUTH SOCCER, AND OTHER PARTNERS, PHILADELPHIA SOCCER 2026 STAGED VARIOUS POP-UP ACTIVATIONS THROUGHOUT "THE PITCH'S" 6-MONTH RUN AT IVC, WHICH SAW NEARLY 100,000 VISITORS ENGAGE.

BID COORDINATION A CENTRAL COMPONENT TO THE BIDDING PROCESS FOR FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 IS RESPONDING TO FIFA'S IN-DEPTH INQUIRIES REGARDING THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA'S HOST CITY CAPABILITIES, WHICH INCLUDE MATCH PLAY VENUE, TRAINING SITES, TRANSPORTATION, ACCOMMODATIONS, HUMAN RIGHTS AND MORE. PHILADELPHIA SOCCER 2026 IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COORDINATION, PREPARATION, AND SUBMISSION OF THE PHILADELPHIA'S OFFICIAL RESPONSES. SUBMISSION OF FIFA VENUE SELECTION SURVEY IN OCTOBER 2020, FIFA PROVIDED ALL HOST CITIES WITH A COMPREHENSIVE 75- QUESTION VENUE SELECTION SURVEY FOR SUBMISSION BY NOVEMBER 30. THIS SURVEY ADDRESSED PHILADELPHIA'S HOST CITY CAPABILITIES, INCLUDING TRAINING SITES, TRANSPORTATION, AND SUSTAINABILITY. IT ALSO EXAMINED LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD AS OUR MATCH PLAY VENUE AS WELL AS POTENTIAL FAN FEST LOCATIONS. WORKING CLOSELY WITH KEY PARTNERS, PHILADELPHIA SOCCER 2026 COORDINATED RESPONSES FROM THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES, PHILADELPHIA UNION, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, DREXEL UNIVERSITY, TEMPLE UNIVERSITY, DELAWARE RIVER WATERFRONT CORPORATION, PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, AND SEPTA, DELIVERING A DETAILED REPORT TO FIFA WITH MORE THAN 150 SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS. INITIAL HUMAN RIGHTS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT REPORT SUBMITTED IN JUNE 2021 IN NOVEMBER 2020 - AND AS A NEW COMPONENT OF THE COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROCESS FOR FIFA WORLD CUP 2026 - FIFA REQUESTED A COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN EACH OF THE CANDIDATE HOST CITIES, INCLUDING A STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PROCESS. THIS REPORT AND PROCESS DEVELOPMENT FOCUSED ON ISSUES OF SOCIAL IMPACT INCLUDING HOUSING RIGHTS, WORKER RIGHTS, SUSTAINABILITY, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND MORE. EACH CANDIDATE HOST CITY WAS ASKED TO DELIVER ITS REPORT AND PLAN TO FIFA BY JUNE 30, 2021. TO ADDRESS THIS REQUEST, PHILADELPHIA SOCCER 2026 CREATED A SOCIAL IMPACT COUNCIL, WHICH ENGAGED NEARLY 50 LEADERS IN THE CIVIC, GOVERNMENTAL, NON- PROFIT, AND CORPORATE SPACE. THIS COUNCIL PROVIDED INVALUABLE INSIGHTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH INFORMED PHILADELPHIA SOCCER 2026'S NEARLY 60-PAGE HUMAN RIGHTS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT REPORT AND WAS SUBMITTED TO FIFA IN JUNE 2021.