Grant: In the pod you all rant a bit about NFL stadiums not being wide enough for WC26. When I voted to approve the demolition of the otherwise totally fine Kingdome, and then build on that spot what is now Lumen Field, my vote exclusively relied on the commitment made by the Seahawks group to build a stadium that could host a World Cup game. And indeed at the time it appeared that the reason the ballot measure was (very narrowly) approved was a function of soccer votes like mine. To wit: It was a material factor in why King County voters approved that stadium.
I will find it personally devastating should Seattle not be selected. (And, BTW, I am super angry Vancouver has been allowed to reenter at this late stage - that is bush league and I am really worried that will screw up Seattle's bid. I am boycotting Maple Syrup!)
I think Vancouver coming back in only HELPS us in Seattle. Having another stadium nearby hosting group games, in a lovely city with an incredible environment and lots of tourist infrastructure, makes it more likely that people would want to do a trip that includes both locations.
I now agree with you. Which means I am now a huge fan of Vancouver's bid! If getting games in Seattle requires relocating the UN to Vancouver then I will help pack moving boxes in NYC. If getting games in Seattle requires raising Vancouver to the ground then I've got the match ready in my hand (not really, but you get my point ;-).
Thank you Grant! As a Bay Area person I am excited that the Santa Clara stadium might actually happen. The Bay Area has a pretty great history hosting soccer and Levi's Stadium is probably an upgrade from those matches at old Stanford Stadium...
Also, as someone with friends in Edmonton, I think Edmonton's a pretty good destination--especially when it's not the middle of winter!
Grant, this might be a (late) dumb question, but has anyone in England discussed an alternate idea for the Chelsea loan, to wit: make the new owners pay it back, BUT instead of the money going to Abramovich, inject that money into the lower divisions for infrastructure improvements or to the grassroots for similar use?
It seems to me that the rest of the EPL would look at the new owners getting a billion+ debt wiped out for nothing as being grossly unfair to them (and it kind of is, since that money was used over the past several years to beat them). Likewise, nobody (even Abramovich) seems to think HE should get it.
So why not both deal with the competitive advantage issue AND help all of English football at the same time?
I hope Denver and Orlando get consideration. Denver is an outstanding town for fans. You can walk to the stadium. Easy transport from the airport. Tons to do. Gorgeous locale.
Orlando is a fun place as well. You can also walk to the stadium from downtown. As home to the Magic Kingdom, they can cater to fans from everywhere. Many foreign visitors to the WC '94 still rave about the great time they had in Orlando.
For me, Boston and Wash/Baltimore have too far a hike to get to the stadium with pretty crappy public transportation to help out.
I am from Philly so I am biased. It would be insane if we hosted the final but we should get the third place at the very least. the 250th anniversary of the signing of the declaration of independence is the day after the final is scheduled to be. Philadelphia is the founding city of the United States it is only right. as you say above we had the money ready from the start we have numerous college campuses with stellar soccer stadiums plus the union stadium within a 30 minute drive teams can use. some of those facilities are also within a 2 or 2 and a 1/2 hour drive from Metlife and M&T Bank stadiums in Baltimore and New Jersey. it is convenient and easy for the world cup logistics wise. I have been to soccer games at both M&T and the Linc great places to see a soccer game. the Linc is better then Baltimore but still both are great. Not that DC and Baltmore joined forces I think they will get the spot.,
My US Predictions: NYC (final), Dallas (semifinal and/or third place) LA: Rose Bowl option (opening/quarterfinal), Atlanta (Semi final), Philadelphia (Quarter and/or third place), Seattle (Quarterfinal), Miami (Quarterfinal), Baltimore/DC (Quarters), Santa Clara (Round of 16). now is the hard part for me its between KC and Houston. Ill go with Kansas City for the middle america aspect I would say the quarters are held there no more then that.
It has been leaked that the opening will be either at the Rose Bowl or Azteca my guess is Azteca! Either way LA will do quarters because it was leaked that its going to be Atlanta and Dallas that host the semis and that NYC is the finals. Grants Point on SoFi's width is going to take that out automatically they just built it so I would be shocked if they change the width for this. I really wish Allegiant in vegas would have made the cut after the second round same with FedEx I know its the capitol but its a dump of a stadium. I would have switched Allegiant for FedEx and Cinncinati in a heart beat.
anyway thats my thoughts. Philadelphia should host deep into the thurnout because of the fourth of July stuff but thats my opinion.
Maybe it's too early, but as someone looking to travel with the US team, has there been any thought to the format/travel plans for teams in the World Cup? My assumption would be regional pods for groups, but then that severely limits revenue for the biggest teams which I know isn't FIFA's MO. But the travel to get clubs across the country seems astronomical if there's not some sort of geo-fencing.
Great read, Grant. Can you be more specific on “corporate welfare” FIFA demands from cities? It must be ridiculous if Chicago and Montreal weren’t interested.
Hi Grant, thank you for this article (and for the taco recommendation in CDMX - Los Cocuyos was soo good!). I wanted to comment on the hotel situation in Doha. My wife and I are avid travel points and miles travelers and we realized since last year that Doha was not making hotels available for customers on points (we've checked via the Hilton and Marriott sites but unfortunately no luck). We decided to instead fly to the UAE, make our vacation there with the better selection of hotels that they are offering, and fly in to Doha from Abu Dhabi (using our travel miles to cover these expensive flights). Folks are not realizing the potential benefits of staying in neighboring countries like the UAE and the fly in for the day and come back (which we have called the Hayya customer service and said that option will become available for ticket holders in May 2022). For those looking to travel to Doha, this would be our suggestion.
Nice write up and analysis. It is interesting that Dallas is a lock when they have the exact same problem as SOFI stadium. Do you know how they are going to address the tiny sub-regulation field in Jerry World? A very well-informed source tells me they will have to cover 10 rows of seats with fill dirt, wiping out all those premium boxes, and Jones has made no commitment to do so. NRG Stadium in Houston was actually designed around FIFA regulation field dimensions.
Im an eagles fan I love the stadium hate the owner with all my guts. That stadium also has another problem there was a womens game there a few years ago when Solo was still with the US womens team and she punted in into the score board which happens a lot in the nfl games.
Grant, how is it that Las Vegas (with a new NFL Stadium) is not in the Mix to host a World Cup Game??? (same rationale as Miami....it's Las Vegas! ;) )
What's going on with the Welsh league and Brexit? I can't find anything on Google except speculation that if Wales leaves the UK it would impact Swansea and Cardiff.
It's my understanding that the UK leagues outside of the Premier League are struggling with visa requirements to sign non-UK players. I may be wrong, but Rory Smith of NY Times highlighted it as an issue, that the "lesser" leagues are facing difficulty.
I would say our Wembley or Olympiastadon is for us either metlife, the rose bowl, Lambeau, the New Orleans Superdome or the Cotton Bowl those are the big american football stadiums. Now if we include all sports I would add Madison Square Garden, Wrigley Field, Fenway, and maybe if it counts the original Yankee Stadium.
Grant: In the pod you all rant a bit about NFL stadiums not being wide enough for WC26. When I voted to approve the demolition of the otherwise totally fine Kingdome, and then build on that spot what is now Lumen Field, my vote exclusively relied on the commitment made by the Seahawks group to build a stadium that could host a World Cup game. And indeed at the time it appeared that the reason the ballot measure was (very narrowly) approved was a function of soccer votes like mine. To wit: It was a material factor in why King County voters approved that stadium.
I will find it personally devastating should Seattle not be selected. (And, BTW, I am super angry Vancouver has been allowed to reenter at this late stage - that is bush league and I am really worried that will screw up Seattle's bid. I am boycotting Maple Syrup!)
I think Vancouver coming back in only HELPS us in Seattle. Having another stadium nearby hosting group games, in a lovely city with an incredible environment and lots of tourist infrastructure, makes it more likely that people would want to do a trip that includes both locations.
I now agree with you. Which means I am now a huge fan of Vancouver's bid! If getting games in Seattle requires relocating the UN to Vancouver then I will help pack moving boxes in NYC. If getting games in Seattle requires raising Vancouver to the ground then I've got the match ready in my hand (not really, but you get my point ;-).
Thank you Grant! As a Bay Area person I am excited that the Santa Clara stadium might actually happen. The Bay Area has a pretty great history hosting soccer and Levi's Stadium is probably an upgrade from those matches at old Stanford Stadium...
Also, as someone with friends in Edmonton, I think Edmonton's a pretty good destination--especially when it's not the middle of winter!
Grant, this might be a (late) dumb question, but has anyone in England discussed an alternate idea for the Chelsea loan, to wit: make the new owners pay it back, BUT instead of the money going to Abramovich, inject that money into the lower divisions for infrastructure improvements or to the grassroots for similar use?
It seems to me that the rest of the EPL would look at the new owners getting a billion+ debt wiped out for nothing as being grossly unfair to them (and it kind of is, since that money was used over the past several years to beat them). Likewise, nobody (even Abramovich) seems to think HE should get it.
So why not both deal with the competitive advantage issue AND help all of English football at the same time?
I hope Denver and Orlando get consideration. Denver is an outstanding town for fans. You can walk to the stadium. Easy transport from the airport. Tons to do. Gorgeous locale.
Orlando is a fun place as well. You can also walk to the stadium from downtown. As home to the Magic Kingdom, they can cater to fans from everywhere. Many foreign visitors to the WC '94 still rave about the great time they had in Orlando.
For me, Boston and Wash/Baltimore have too far a hike to get to the stadium with pretty crappy public transportation to help out.
I am from Philly so I am biased. It would be insane if we hosted the final but we should get the third place at the very least. the 250th anniversary of the signing of the declaration of independence is the day after the final is scheduled to be. Philadelphia is the founding city of the United States it is only right. as you say above we had the money ready from the start we have numerous college campuses with stellar soccer stadiums plus the union stadium within a 30 minute drive teams can use. some of those facilities are also within a 2 or 2 and a 1/2 hour drive from Metlife and M&T Bank stadiums in Baltimore and New Jersey. it is convenient and easy for the world cup logistics wise. I have been to soccer games at both M&T and the Linc great places to see a soccer game. the Linc is better then Baltimore but still both are great. Not that DC and Baltmore joined forces I think they will get the spot.,
My US Predictions: NYC (final), Dallas (semifinal and/or third place) LA: Rose Bowl option (opening/quarterfinal), Atlanta (Semi final), Philadelphia (Quarter and/or third place), Seattle (Quarterfinal), Miami (Quarterfinal), Baltimore/DC (Quarters), Santa Clara (Round of 16). now is the hard part for me its between KC and Houston. Ill go with Kansas City for the middle america aspect I would say the quarters are held there no more then that.
It has been leaked that the opening will be either at the Rose Bowl or Azteca my guess is Azteca! Either way LA will do quarters because it was leaked that its going to be Atlanta and Dallas that host the semis and that NYC is the finals. Grants Point on SoFi's width is going to take that out automatically they just built it so I would be shocked if they change the width for this. I really wish Allegiant in vegas would have made the cut after the second round same with FedEx I know its the capitol but its a dump of a stadium. I would have switched Allegiant for FedEx and Cinncinati in a heart beat.
anyway thats my thoughts. Philadelphia should host deep into the thurnout because of the fourth of July stuff but thats my opinion.
Maybe it's too early, but as someone looking to travel with the US team, has there been any thought to the format/travel plans for teams in the World Cup? My assumption would be regional pods for groups, but then that severely limits revenue for the biggest teams which I know isn't FIFA's MO. But the travel to get clubs across the country seems astronomical if there's not some sort of geo-fencing.
Great read, Grant. Can you be more specific on “corporate welfare” FIFA demands from cities? It must be ridiculous if Chicago and Montreal weren’t interested.
Don't worry about hotels. I am sure Qatar has slave labor working on it around the clock.
Hi Grant, thank you for this article (and for the taco recommendation in CDMX - Los Cocuyos was soo good!). I wanted to comment on the hotel situation in Doha. My wife and I are avid travel points and miles travelers and we realized since last year that Doha was not making hotels available for customers on points (we've checked via the Hilton and Marriott sites but unfortunately no luck). We decided to instead fly to the UAE, make our vacation there with the better selection of hotels that they are offering, and fly in to Doha from Abu Dhabi (using our travel miles to cover these expensive flights). Folks are not realizing the potential benefits of staying in neighboring countries like the UAE and the fly in for the day and come back (which we have called the Hayya customer service and said that option will become available for ticket holders in May 2022). For those looking to travel to Doha, this would be our suggestion.
Nice write up and analysis. It is interesting that Dallas is a lock when they have the exact same problem as SOFI stadium. Do you know how they are going to address the tiny sub-regulation field in Jerry World? A very well-informed source tells me they will have to cover 10 rows of seats with fill dirt, wiping out all those premium boxes, and Jones has made no commitment to do so. NRG Stadium in Houston was actually designed around FIFA regulation field dimensions.
Im an eagles fan I love the stadium hate the owner with all my guts. That stadium also has another problem there was a womens game there a few years ago when Solo was still with the US womens team and she punted in into the score board which happens a lot in the nfl games.
Grant, how is it that Las Vegas (with a new NFL Stadium) is not in the Mix to host a World Cup Game??? (same rationale as Miami....it's Las Vegas! ;) )
they got rejected in round 2 for some reason!
Kansas City! You and Paul Carr would be quite happy 😂
What's going on with the Welsh league and Brexit? I can't find anything on Google except speculation that if Wales leaves the UK it would impact Swansea and Cardiff.
It's my understanding that the UK leagues outside of the Premier League are struggling with visa requirements to sign non-UK players. I may be wrong, but Rory Smith of NY Times highlighted it as an issue, that the "lesser" leagues are facing difficulty.
How do you switch from a monthly subscription to an annual one for this newsletter? Have checked a couple of times and didn't see that info. Thx!
Readers can change their monthly subscription to yearly by following these steps:
- Go to https://grantwahl.substack.com/account
- Next to "Plan," select "Change'
- Select the yearly option under "You can switch to the following plans"
I would say our Wembley or Olympiastadon is for us either metlife, the rose bowl, Lambeau, the New Orleans Superdome or the Cotton Bowl those are the big american football stadiums. Now if we include all sports I would add Madison Square Garden, Wrigley Field, Fenway, and maybe if it counts the original Yankee Stadium.