500 Days to the World Cup: Security, Fundraising on Miami Organizing Committee's To-Do List
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For most sports fans, Monday, January 27, is just another day on the calendar. But for 2026 World Cup organizers, it marks the start of an important countdown:
There are still 500 days until the World Cup. The opening match of the next World Cup will be June 11, 2026, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The expanded 48-team tournament is being hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, and there's still a lot of work to be done. Miami is one of 11 host cities in the United States. Seven matches will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, including a quarter-final and the bronze medal match.
A FIFA fan festival will be held at Bayfront Park with matches broadcast on giant screens, concerts, cultural and culinary offerings, and interactive activities. The whole world will be watching. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar attracted a global audience of 5 billion viewers. Only the 2024 Paris Olympics matched these figures. By comparison, the last Super Bowl in Las Vegas, an overtime thriller with Taylor Swift in the audience, drew 123.7 million viewers. The 2024 NBA Finals drew 11.3 million viewers.
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No one knows more about the magnitude of a World Cup than Miami's committee leaders Alina Hudak and Rodney Barreto, who have worked together on six Super Bowls. Waiting for a World Cup is like waiting for seven Super Bowls in five weeks. And Miami will be under the watchful eye of a larger crowd than other venues after the chaos that erupted at the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia in July 2024, when a mob of fans (many of whom did not have tickets) stormed the gates of Hard Rock Stadium, causing injuries, damage to the stadium and a delay in the start of the game. Hudak, a former Miami Beach city manager, was named president and CEO of the welcoming committee in November. She replaces Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, who stepped down to focus on her personal and professional commitments. "Obviously, public safety is a big 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 I've met her before. We have a retired former police chief on our staff who is very, very knowledgeable and experienced in handling major events like Super Bowls." We also have a retired major from Miami Dade. "Public safety is a top priority and I was very, very pleased with the level of professionalism of the Miami Dade Emergency Management Team's operational plan." Barreto, chairman of the Miami World Cup host committee, added that the security plan will include layered perimeters around Hard Rock Stadium.
FIFA WORLD CUP 500 Days to the World Cup: Security and Fundraising Miami Host Committee Key Duties List By Michelle Kaufman Updated January 2, 2026, 08:49 | Miami, FL - May 18, 2023 - Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, along with former soccer players and elected officials, celebrate the opening of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Miami atop a double-decker bus emblazoned with the logo. the Government Center in downtown Miami. Jose A. Iglesias jiglesias@elnuevoherald.com For most sports fans, Monday, January 27, is just another day on the calendar. But for the 2026 World Cup organizers, this date marks the beginning of an important countdown: 500 days remain until the World Cup. The opening match of the next World Cup will be on June 11, 2026, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The expanded 48-team tournament is hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, and there is still much to do. Miami is one of 11 host cities in the United States. Seven matches will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, including a quarterfinal and a bronze medal match. A FIFA fan festival will be held at Bayfront Park with broadcasts of matches on giant screens, concerts, cultural and culinary offerings and interactive activities. The whole world will be paying attention. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar attracted 5 billion viewers worldwide. Only the 2024 Paris Olympics have matched that figure. By comparison, the last Super Bowl in Las Vegas, an overtime thriller featuring Taylor Swift, drew 123.7 million viewers.
The 2024 NBA Finals drew 11.3 million viewers. No one knows more about the magnitude of a World Cup than Miami's hosting committee leaders Alina Hudak and Rodney Barreto, who have worked together on six Super Bowls. Waiting for a World Cup is like waiting for seven Super Bowls in five weeks. And Miami will face more scrutiny than other venues after the chaos that erupted at the Copa America final between Argentina and Colombia in July 2024, when a mob of fans (many of whom did not have tickets) stormed the gates of Hard Rock Stadium, causing injuries, damage to the stadium and delaying the start of the game. Hudak, the former Miami Beach city manager, was named president and CEO of the hosting committee in November. She replaces Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, who resigned to focus on her personal and professional commitments. "Obviously, public safety is a big 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 I've met her before. Among our staff, we have a retired former police chief who is very, very knowledgeable and experienced in handling major events, like the Super Bowl. We also have a retired major from Miami Dade. "Public safety is a top priority and I was very, very pleased with the level of professionalism of the Miami Dade Emergency Management Team's operational plan." Barreto, chairman of the Miami World Cup organizing committee, added that the security plan will include overlapping perimeters around Hard Rock Stadium. "I don't even know what preparations have been made for the America's Cup; all I can say is that we will have multiple perimeters outside the stadium, because if you don't have a ticket, you can't get past the first perimeter point," Barreto said. "That's how we keep people from getting into the stadium." Hudak admits she took on the role of World Cup planner not knowing what it would entail, but her career in public service and experience with major events have proven invaluable. "My experience has served me well," Hudak said. "We have the responsibility not only to raise funds, but also to lead operational efforts in multiple jurisdictions, in collaboration with FIFA." It's a big job, but I understand how governments work and have been a financial partner to major events in the past." Barreto said Hudak's transition into her new role has been smooth. "Alina is a consummate professional and a perfect fit for this job," Barreto said. "She's the tip of the spear for Miami-Dade County. She knows everyone. She brings a wealth of relationships to Miami and Miami Beach and other local governments." Those relationships are vital as Miami organizers seek to secure $100 million in local private sector sponsorships to help offset the cost of hosting the Games and supporting events. The numerous restrictions imposed by FIFA on sponsors make the task particularly difficult. FIFA World Cup Sponsorship Restrictions Like local Super Bowl committees, which handle NFL sponsorship mandates, local World Cup organizers are prohibited by FIFA from signing sponsorship deals with industries where FIFA has or hopes to have partnerships. Each city is allowed to register up to 10 designated host city sponsors, who are not allowed to use FIFA trademarks or logos but are allowed to use the host city's branding and have access to premium tickets and hospitality, such as a venue at fan festivals. A major cruise line would be an ideal sponsor for host city Miami, Barreto said, but his committee cannot finalize a deal because FIFA may seek a global sponsorship in that area, leaving local organizers in limbo. It is also unclear what benefits they could offer sponsors, such as ticket numbers and stadium suites.
"To be honest, we're a little frustrated with FIFA because they haven't let us go yet; they've tied our hands in terms of what we can offer to sponsors," Barreto said. FIFA is so strict that it prohibits stadium names from companies that are not official FIFA sponsors. Therefore, existing NFL stadium names will be covered during the World Cup and will not be mentioned in match broadcasts unless those companies sign separate sponsorship agreements. Hard Rock Stadium will be called Miami Stadium. Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be Atlanta's home stadium. AT&T Stadium will be Dallas' home stadium. MetLife Stadium will be the home stadium for New York and New Jersey. Etc. All Hard Rock signage must be covered or removed from the stadium for the World Cup, including the two logos on the 16,000-square-foot roof. The rest of the World Cup sponsorship comes from the public sector, as municipalities, counties and states provide cash services and in-kind services such as police and fire and medical services. As of May 2024, the Miami Hosting Committee has secured nearly $36 million in funding and public services from Miami-Dade County.
The commission approved $10.5 million for the Greater Miami Visitors and Convention Bureau for event production and $25 million in in-kind support for public safety. "I've been to six Super Bowls, but I was on the county side, the person who made all the resources available to the host committee," Hudak said. "Now I'm the host committee looking for resources. So I have this interesting perspective on where the resources are and how to 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 the Canadian cities of Vancouver and Toronto and the Mexican cities of Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Last week, FIFA held a two-day seminar at its Coral Gables offices for organizers of the 16 host cities. The workshop included sessions on ticketing, hospitality, transportation, security and FIFA fan festivals. According to Barreto, some host city officials complained during the workshop about FIFA's lack of clarity on what host committees are allowed to offer potential sponsors. FIFA is working to get answers, Barreto said. Meanwhile, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who has a home in South Florida, told seminar attendees: "Our goal is really — and your goal as a host city — to make an impact and change people's lives. The FIFA World Cup is, as you know, much more than a sporting event. It is and has become a social phenomenon, a unique social phenomenon that brings together people from all over the world. "In our world where so many terrible things are happening, to be able to create an event together that will really lift the spirits of the world and bring so much emotion at the end of the day - emotion that wins or loses, 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, plus the Canadian cities of Vancouver and Toronto and the Mexican cities of Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey
▪ Opening match: June 11, 2026 in Mexico City at the 87,532-seat Estadio Azteca
▪ Final match: July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey
▪ Semifinals: Atlanta and Dallas
▪ Number of states: 48.
▪ Number of matches: 104 (78 will be played in the United States of America)
▪ Seven matches at Hard Rock Stadium: four group stage matches on June 15, 22, 24 and 27; a round of 16 match on July 3, a quarter-final on July 11 and a bronze medal match on July 18.
▪ Ticket information: Ticket sales for the 2026 World Cup are expected to begin later this year. For information on the ticket application process, please visit FIFA.com.
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