FIFA announced Friday it will donate 100,000 footballs to 500 American cities to stoke anticipation for the 2026 World Cup, the first edition with 48 teams hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino unveiled the initiative during a speech at the United States Conference of Mayors’ winter meeting in the capital, where he met with officials from the 11 US host cities and presented the World Cup trophy.
Each participating city will receive 200 balls for local events leading to the tournament’s June 11 kickoff, which features 104 matches across 16 venues in the three nations.
“I was delighted to meet the mayors of the 11 US Host Cities who will welcome the world in 2026, each bringing their own unique energy to this historic event,” Infantino said.
The gesture is expected to spur community engagement and deliver a $30 billion economic windfall to US locales from an influx of over seven million international fans, with 50 of the 64 proposed team base camps situated stateside.
US Conference of Mayors President David Holt hailed the move as a “highlight of the week,” adding: “We were thrilled to welcome FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the FIFA World Cup trophy to our winter meeting… His generous and spontaneous announcement of a donation of 200 soccer balls to every member city was a highlight of the week!”
