Despite being nearly three years away, FIFA officials are taking tours across host cities and recently visited Philadelphia to prepare for the 2026 World Cup, writes Corey Davis for 6abc.  

Last week, FIFA officials were at the Sports Complex and Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia to inspect the venue and discuss the logistics for the huge soccer tournament. 

The World Cup is known as the biggest sporting event in the world. 

Last year, FIFA announced Philadelphia as one of 16 host cities for the spectacle.  

“We picked them for a reason. Since day 1 we were super impressed by the level of buy-in and collective enthusiasm that the city had to offer,” said Ross McCall, executive director of operations for FIFA World Cup 2026. 

As part of preparations, FIFA officials will review plans on how to build spaces around the stadium for the tens of thousands of fans that will be attending when the tournament officially stops by. 

The goal is to showcase the city for those who have never been to the city before. 

As a result, Eagles operations staff is playing a key role in taking recommendations to enhance the experience of the tens of thousands who will attend for the games, and Fan Fest prior.  

Learn more about how FIFA and Lincoln Financial Field are preparing for the 2026 World Cup in 6abc. 

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Philadelphia is one of 16 cities that will host 2026 FIFA World Cup games.