#2026-world-cup-planning

#2026-world-cup-planning

When I came to America and the MLS 20 years ago, my dream was to win championships, help raise the game of soccer that I love so much and to build my own team. Thirteen years ago, I announced Miami was my choice. We had no name. We had no fans. We had no stadium. Today, I stand in our new home.

The state of New Jersey is incurring significant costs for public safety and security for hosting the World Cup games in the Meadowlands. If the state can recoup those costs by assessing fees on the entities sponsoring and producing the games, and on the people attending the games, then that should be something the administration pursues.

Successful events hinge on detailed planning, including site maps, barricade layouts, and medical staging areas. These elements are critical for safety and operational success.

"The visa bond program functions, in essence, like a security deposit that's layered on top of the standard visa process. It applies to visitors applying for a B-1 (business) or B-2 (tourism) visa..."

Policy stances from the Trump administration on everything from immigration to tariffs, along with currency swings and stricter border controls, have seemingly proved a turnoff to travelers from other countries, especially Canadians - the single largest source of foreign tourists for the United States. Canadian travel to the U.S. fell by close to 30% in 2025. But it is not just visitors from Canada who are choosing to avoid the United States.

This summer's soccer World Cup tournament will provide a rare opportunity for major advertisers looking to engage sports audiences over a month-long festival of footwork, free kicks and the occasional foul - all taking place in the U.S and Mexico. But Major League Soccer (MLS) has a bigger ambition: to convert U.S. viewers entertaining a passing interest in the World Cup into long-term soccer fans of Inter Miami, New York City FC or the Seattle Sounders.