COLORADO, USA — Denver is one of the 17 candidate cities to host games for the 2026 World Cup.
At a press conference on Monday, community members and two FIFA inspectors met and discussed the reasons why the stadium and Denver are ideal hosts for world cup matches.
"There is magic in this stadium and we believe it will be an incredible place to host World Cup soccer games in 2026," Matthew Payne of the Denver Sports Commission said.
Payne said Empower Field at Mile High, which seats 76,125 people, is one of the best and most advanced stadiums in the entire country. He added that in its 20-year history, the stadium has already hosted several iconic events such as AFC championship games with the Denver Broncos, concerts with music greats like the Rolling Stones and U2, and former President Barack Obama's acceptance speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention (DNC).
Although the World Cup and the DNC are very different events, both require extensive preparation for large crowds.
"There is definitely a link between the two, (and) safety is one of the most important," said Mike Dino, former executive director of the Denver Host Committee for the DNC in 2008.
The playbook that Dino helped create in 2008 is being used again, this time for sports rather than politics.
"The most important thing they ask is, 'Can we do it? Does the city of Denver have what it takes?' Fortunately, we can," Dino said. "Denver is definitely ready."
There are some key differences between the DNC and the World Cup. People from all over the world would fly in for the soccer tournament, while the focus on the DNC primarily came from inside the United States.
During the conference there was also no lack of acknowledgement for unforgettable match between the USA and Mexico (CONCACAF Nations League Final) last June. Some saw it as a test to see how Denver would fare in hosting a big soccer game.
"The stadium hosted the United States men's 3-2 victory over Mexico in one of the most exciting games in CONCACAF history," Payne said.
FIFA will host the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. A World Cup has never been held in three countries simultaneously.
The second leg of FIFA's inspection tour of the candidate cities to host the World Cup will take place between October 21 and November 1. The delegation, led by CONCACAF President and FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani, is visiting Kansas City, Cincinnati, Dallas, Houston, Monterrey, San Francisco, Seattle and of course Denver.
It is not yet clear exactly when FIFA will decide which U.S. cities will host games.
Montagliani reiterated that inspections will take into account the stadium, transportation and accommodations of each city.
"It’s a very difficult decision at the end of the day when we have to make them, because I’ve been very impressed by the attitude of all three countries and their candidates in terms of really putting their best foot forward," he said.
"But at the end of the day, I’m very happy to see that it’s obvious that Denver wants it, obviously Colorado wants it and that to me is one of the most important things," Montagliani added.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock stressed that billions of dollars have been invested towards city improvements including expanding the convention center, transportation and routes to the stadium, improvements that Hancock said will be even better by 2026.
"Denver is ready to host the World Cup," Hancock said.
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