MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – As local officials lauded Miami’s selection as a host city for the 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup in a news conference Friday, they acknowledged that it will take some work to get the area ready to be one of 16 hosting soccer’s biggest event.
Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami Gardens, will be prepared to host up to six of 80 World Cup matches set to take place across North America.
The four-year wait will give officials time to prepare.
“We are going to do everything we need to do to strengthen our infrastructure, prepare our communities and plan for the influx of the hundreds of thousands of tourists,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said.
With visitors expected to take to South Florida roadways, Levine Cava said transportation infrastructure will be top of mind over the coming years.
“We are going to put together a plan with how we are going to to flow people in and out of this venue to minimize disruption,” she said.
The influx of visitors to South Florida is expected to be a massive boost to the local economy and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez called the World Cup “another step in the evolution of us truly becoming a global city.”
“All our fans are going to be able, not just to watch the games, but now they get to go to the games,” Suarez said.
Miami won’t know exactly how many games it will be hosting until 2023.