Cincinnati now within arm's reach of hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup
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Updated: 6:04 PM EST Mar 9, 2021
WLWT Digital Staff
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Updated: 6:04 PM EST Mar 9, 2021
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>> THIS OPPORTUNITY COMES AROUND ONCE IN 100 YEARS. IT IS RIGHT AT OUR FINGERTIPS. BRANDON: THE BID IS IN A TUESDAY, THE CINCINNATI WORLD CUP COMMITTEE SPOKE TO FIFA AN U.S. SOCCER. ABOUT HOSTING GAMES AT PAUL BROWN STADIUM. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON GRASS -- >> WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON GRASS ON PUTTING IN A GRASS FIELD. MEAN WE MIGHT HAVE TALKED ABOUT GRASS FOR HALF AN HOUR. BRANDON: REPLACING THE TUR FIELD WITH GRASS AND REMOVING THE 4 LOWER CORNERS OF SEATING TO FIT A FIFA-SIZED FIELD ARE THE TWO REQUIREMENTS FOR PAUL BROWN STADIUM TO HOST GAMES. AND FC CINCINNATI PRESIDENT JEFF BERDING SAYS THAT IS ALL PART OF THE PLAN IF THEY PICK CINCINNATI TO BE ON THE WORLD STAGE. >> LITERALLY THE LARGEST SPORTING EVENT IN THE WORLD. WITH A GLOBAL TV AUDIENCE, THAT’S 10 TIMES THE SUPER BOWL. MORE THAN HALF THE WORLD. MORE THAN HALF THE PEOPLE ON THE GLOBE WATCHED THE LAST FIFA WORLD CUP. SO I MEAN, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IN THIS IS EXTRAORDINARY. BRANDON: $90 MILLION TO $480 MILLION IS THE ECONOMIC BOOST 2026 HOST CITIES COULD SEE. AND FOR SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE RHINE HAUS IN OTR ONE OF THE BIGGEST SOCCER BARS IN TOW A HOMETOWN WORLD CUP WOULD BE A DREAM COME TRUE. >> THE WORLD CUP CROWDS WE’D GET HERE ANYWAY ARE INCREDIBLE. THERE’S PROBABLY STILL STAINS OF BEER ON THE CEILING FROM GOLD CELEBRATIONS. SO HAVING A IN OUR OWN BACKYARD WOULD BE WOULD BE REALLY SOMETHING SPECIAL. I THINK THIS CITY IS SHOWN IN THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS THAT WE’RE A SOCCER CITY TO BE RECKONED WITH. AND I THINK YEAH, WE DESERVE I I THINK IT WOULD BE FANTASTIC. BRANDON: THEY PLAN TO OFFICIALLY AN