Philly officers celebrated the one-year mark from the beginning of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Wednesday by unveiling a countdown clock in Dilworth Park.
“In precisely one yr, we’ll present your entire world that Philadelphia’s arms down the sports activities capital of the world,” mentioned Comcast Spectacor Chairman and CEO Dan Hilferty, who can also be the chairman of Philadelphia’s host committee.
The clock stands beside Dilworth Park Café & Air Grille. It resembles a large white smartphone case, with FIFA branding and a World Cup trophy-shaped gap within the middle. The digital clock show on the prime is counting right down to midnight on July 11, 2026, the day of the event’s opening match on the Estadio Azteca in Mexico Metropolis. Will probably be on public show for your entire yr.
The World Cup will probably be collectively hosted by 16 cities throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Philly’s Lincoln Monetary Subject will host six video games, together with a July Fourth round-of-16 match coinciding with the nation’s semiquincentennial celebrations. Total, FIFA expects 6.5 million followers to journey throughout the globe for the festivities.
June 11, 2026, may even be the opening day of Philly’s fan-fest location at East Fairmount Park’s Lemon Hill, the place followers with out recreation tickets can watch a stay broadcast of the motion, together with music, meals and different leisure.
“That is greater than only a sporting occasion,” Mayor Cherelle Parker mentioned. “It’s a transformative second that embodies all the things that we’re working towards right here within the metropolis of Philadelphia, and that could be a safer, cleaner and greener Philadelphia with entry to financial alternative for all. And it’s going to be superb to have the world see it.”
The town and the Linc will get a style of FIFA soccer this summer time with the Membership World Cup, which options the perfect membership groups on the earth, versus the perfect nationwide groups that will probably be competing subsequent yr. This version of the Membership World Cup drastically expands the sphere, from seven groups to 32, competing for a complete event prize pool of $1 billion. The Linc will host eight video games, together with a quarterfinal on July 4.
Meg Kane, Philadelphia Soccer 2026’s host metropolis govt, mentioned that the group will probably be carefully following how this yr’s event — which they don’t set up — handles logistics like transportation, security and safety. The 2 tournaments are usually not an apple-to-apples comparability.
“What is going on on the Linc over the subsequent three weeks is a good check run for lots of issues, however it’s not a mirror of what subsequent summer time goes to really feel like,” Kane mentioned.
Philadelphia Soccer 2026’s 100-days out celebrations additionally embrace occasions with youth soccer gamers. On Tuesday, the group gifted 25 gamers from the Secure-Hub Philadelphia program in Kensington with tickets to an upcoming Philadelphia Union match. On Wednesday night, there will probably be a youth soccer clinic at Penn Park, with Union captain Alejandro Bedoya and mascot Phang in attendance.
Kane mentioned that the event presents Philadelphia’s youth an incredible introduction to soccer, and for these already acquainted, the possibility to “make it actual.”
“We noticed a spike of 30 % in youth participation in soccer in 1994 [when the U.S. last hosted the World Cup]. I’d anticipate very comparable, if not better, participation popping out of 2026,” Kane mentioned.