500 Days to the World Cup: Security, Fundraising on Miami Organizing Committee

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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