Miami marks one-year countdown to first World Cup matches

Marc Anthony gave Miami’s World Cup countdown a distinctly local face at the Pérez Art Museum Miami, where organizers used the one-year-out ceremony to argue that the city’s role in 2026 will reach far beyond a soccer venue. The event doubled as a branding exercise, presenting Miami as a cultural capital for the tournament and a centerpiece of the U.S. hosting story.

The Miami Host Committee and FIFA marked the One Year Out milestone on June 11, 2025, with the world premiere of a promotional video starring Anthony. Organizers chose the four-time Grammy-winning singer because his profile reflects Miami’s Latin identity and the city’s broader cultural mix, a pitch aimed at linking the tournament to the region’s immigrant and Hispanic communities as much as to the sport itself.

FIFA confirmed that Miami will host seven matches of the expanded 2026 World Cup, which will include 48 national teams and 104 games across 16 host cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada. During the tournament, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens will be identified as Miami Stadium, a temporary rebrand that organizers framed as part of the city’s effort to stand out on the global stage.

Local leaders have cast the tournament as a chance to deliver economic gains, strengthen Miami’s international image and extend the region’s soccer legacy. They also described the One Year Out campaign as a showcase for the beauty, rhythm and resilience of the city, a message meant to position Miami and Miami Beach as more than a host site. The local calendar placed Miami’s matches between June 15 and July 18, 2026, giving the area a five-week run of global attention.

For Miami, the symbolism matters almost as much as the schedule. Hosting first-ever World Cup matches gives the city a rare platform to sell itself not just as a sports market, but as a Latin American gateway with global reach, one that hopes the tournament will leave behind more than temporary crowds and televised images.