500 Days to the World Cup: Security, fundraising top Miami host committee’s to-do list
To most sports fans, Monday Jan. 27 is just another day on the calendar. But for organizers of the 2026 World Cup, that date kicks off a significant countdown: 500 Days to Go.
The opening match of the next World Cup is June 11, 2026, at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The expanded 48-team tournament is being co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, and there is much work to be done.
Miami is one of 11 U.S. host cities. Seven matches will be held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, including a quarterfinal and the bronze medal game. A FIFA Fan Festival will be held at Bayfront Park featuring broadcasts of matches on giant screens, concerts, cultural and culinary offerings, and interactive activities.
The world will be watching.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar drew a global TV audience of 5 billion. Only the 2024 Paris Olympics matched those numbers. By comparison, the most recent Super Bowl in Las Vegas, an overtime thriller with Taylor Swift in attendance, drew 123.7 million viewers. The 2024 NBA Finals drew 11.3 million.
Nobody is more aware of the scale of a World Cup than the leaders of the Miami Host Committee, Alina Hudak and Rodney Barreto, who worked together on six Super Bowls. Hosting a World Cup is akin to hosting seven Super Bowls in a span of five weeks.
And Miami will be under more scrutiny than other venues after chaos broke out at the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia in July 2024, as throngs of fans (many of them without tickets) stormed Hard Rock Stadium entry gates, causing injuries, damage to the stadium and a delayed start to the game.
Hudak, the former Miami Beach city manager, was appointed president and CEO of the host committee in November. She replaced Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, who stepped down to focus on personal and professional commitments.
“Obviously, public safety is very much part of my life,” said Hudak, whose husband, Ed Hudak, is the Coral Gables Police Chief. “I know our new sheriff [Rosie Cordero-Stutz] well and have already met with her. As part of our staff we have a retired former police chief, who is very, very knowledgeable and an expert in managing large events, such as Super Bowls. We also have a retired Miami Dade major.
“Public safety is a priority, and I have been very, very pleased with the level of professionalism of the Miami Dade emergency management team’s operating plan.”
Barreto, chairman of the Miami World Cup host committee, added that the security plan will include layered perimeters around the vicinity of Hard Rock Stadium.
“I am not going to second-guess what preparations they made for Copa America; all I can say is we will have different perimeters outside the stadium, so if you don’t have a ticket, you can’t get past the first perimeter checkpoint,” Barreto said. “That’s how we keep people away from the stadium.”
Hudak admits she accepted her role as a World Cup planner without knowing all it would entail, but her career in public service and history with big events have proven invaluable.
“My background does serve me well,” Hudak said. “We have a responsibility not just to fundraise, but to lead the operational efforts within multiple jurisdictions, together with FIFA. It’s a big job, but I understand how governments work, and I was on the other side being a funding partner in the past for big events.”
Barreto said Hudak’s transition to her new role has been seamless.
“Alina is a pro and perfect for this job,” said Barreto “She’s the tip of the spear for Miami-Dade County. She knows everybody. She brings all the wealth of her connections in Miami and Miami Beach and other local governments.”
Those connections are vital as Miami organizers attempt to secure $100 million in local sponsorship from the private sector to help offset the cost of hosting the games and ancillary events. FIFA’s many sponsor restrictions make it particularly challenging.
FIFA World Cup sponsor restrictions
Like local Super Bowl host committees, who deal with NFL sponsorship mandates, local World Cup organizers are prohibited by FIFA from signing sponsorship deals with business sectors where FIFA has partners or hopes to.
Each city is allowed to sign up to 10 designated Host City Supporters, who are not permitted to use FIFA marks or logos but have the right to use host city branding and have access to premium tickets and hospitality, and a spot in the Fan Festivals.
A large cruise line would be a perfect host city sponsor for Miami, Barreto said, but his committee cannot finalize a deal because FIFA might be soliciting a global sponsorship in that area, leaving local organizers in limbo. It is also unclear what perks they can offer sponsors, such as number of tickets and stadium suites.
“To be honest, we’re a little frustrated with FIFA because they haven’t cut us loose yet; they’ve kind of tied our hands with respect to what we can offer sponsors,” Barreto said.
FIFA is so strict that it prohibits corporate stadium names from companies that are not official FIFA sponsors, so existing NFL stadium names will be covered during the World Cup and will not be mentioned in game broadcasts unless those companies sign separate sponsorship deals.
Hard Rock Stadium will be referred to as Miami Stadium. Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be Atlanta Stadium. AT&T Stadium will be Dallas Stadium. MetLife Stadium will be New York New Jersey Stadium. And so on.
All Hard Rock signage must covered or removed from the stadium for the World Cup, including the two 16,000 square-foot roof logos.
The other part of World Cup sponsorship comes from the public sector, as municipalities, counties and states provide cash and in-kind services such as police and fire rescue, and paramedics.
In May 2024, the Miami host committee secured nearly $36 million in public funding and services from Miami-Dade County. The commission approved $10.5 million to be allocated to the Greater Miami Visitors and Convention Bureau to be used for production of the events, and $25 million of in-kind support for public safety.
“I have been part of six Super Bowls, but I was on the county side, that person who was making all the resources available to the host committee,” Hudak said. “Now, I’m the host committee begging for resources. So, I have that interesting perspective of understanding where the resources are and how you go find them.”
World Cup Host Cities
Other U.S. host cities include Atlanta, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, as well as Canadian cities Vancouver and Toronto and Mexican cities Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.
Last week, FIFA hosted a two-day workshop at its Coral Gables office for organizers from the 16 host cities. The workshop included sessions on ticketing, hospitality, transportation, security, and FIFA Fan Festivals.
According to Barreto, several host city officials complained during the workshop about lack of clarity from FIFA about what host committees are allowed to offer prospective sponsors. FIFA is working on getting the answers, Barreto said.
In the meantime, FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who has a home in South Florida, told workshop attendees:
“Our purpose is really – and your purpose as host cities – is really to impact and change the lives of people. The FIFA World Cup is, as you know, much more than just a sports event. It is, and it has become, a social phenomenon, a unique social phenomenon that brings people together from all over the world.
“In our world where there are so many terrible things happening, to be able to be creating all together an event which will actually lift the global mood, spirit and bring so much emotion at the end of the day – emotion whether, you know, you win or you lose, you feel emotion – emotion, passion.”
2026 FIFA World Cup
▪ Dates: June 11-July 19, 2026
Host Cities: Miami, Atlanta, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, as well as Canadian cities Vancouver and Toronto and Mexican cities Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.
▪ Opening match: June 11, 2026 in Mexico City at 87,532-seat Estadio Azteca
▪ Final match: July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey
▪ Semifinals: Atlanta and Dallas.
▪ Number of countries: 48
▪ Number of matches: 104 (78 will be held in the United States)
▪ Seven games at Hard Rock Stadium: Four Group Stage matches June 15, 22, 24, 27; a Round of 32 match July 3, a Quarterfinal July 11 and the Bronze Medal Game July 18.
▪ Ticket info: Ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup are expected to begin later this year. To receive information on how to apply for tickets, register at FIFA.com
This story was originally published January 26, 2025 at 8:00 AM.