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On Site at the Cowboys Stadium
Cowboys Stadium Included in Bid for FIFA World Cup The USA Bid Committee has concluded its eight-month host city selection process and on Tuesday, January 12th announced the list of cities that will be included in its official bid book to FIFA to host the FIFA World Cup™ in 2018 or 2022. Dallas (with World Cup matches at both Cowboys Stadium in Arlington and Dallas' Cotton Bowl) is one of the 18 cities -- the maximum allowable by FIFA -- identified as official host cities and included in the formal bid that the USA Bid Committee will submit to FIFA on May 14, 2010. The capacity for matches at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington is listed as 91,600 with capacity at The Cotton Bowl listed at 89,000. The 18 cities listed in the bid represent the entire country and will continue working with the USA Bid Committee both on the development and promotion of their local and national campaigns during the next 10 months leading up to FIFA’s final decision, scheduled for December 2, 2010. The cities will also participate in the planning of the site visits that will be made by a technical delegation from FIFA expected to take place in September 2010. In addition to Arlington, the cities that have been selected for inclusion in the official USA Bid Committee bid book that will be presented to FIFA are, in alphabetical order: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa and Washington, D.C. “The United States is equipped and ready to offer FIFA the opportunity to host a passionate and successful World Cup where fans, teams, partners and media can experience the beautiful game at its highest level while allowing the world soccer family to focus on the utmost mission of the game that benefits the World as a whole,” said Sunil Gulati, the Chairman of the USA Bid Committee and President of U.S. Soccer. “Today our hopes of becoming a host nation are strengthened many fold by the announcement of the 18 cities we will submit to FIFA on May 14,” continued Gulati. “These 18 cities share outstanding leadership with a vision and understanding of what a FIFA World Cup™ would mean to the United States, along with how well we can play the role of host to visitors from throughout the world.” To meet the maximum number of 18 cities that can be included in the official bid book to FIFA, the USA Bid Committee had to eliminate nine candidate host cities that had remained under consideration into the final round. In alphabetical order, those cities are Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Jacksonville, Oakland, Orlando, St. Louis and San Francisco. Among the nine eliminated cities, four were host cities when the United States previously hosted the FIFA World Cup™ in 1994: Chicago, Detroit, Orlando and San Francisco. “By virtue of the quality of our cities and stadiums, it was very difficult to reduce the field to the maximum of 18 established by FIFA,” said David Downs, Executive Director of the USA Bid Committee. “We consider it a meaningful indicator of the significant growth of soccer in this country that we can put forth such a technically sound bid without four cities that served as hosts for the first FIFA World Cup™ in the United States in 1994. The emergence of passionate followings for the sport and state-of-the-art venues throughout the country has strengthened our ability to put together a truly national bid to host the FIFA World Cup™ in 2018 or 2022.” The USA Bid Committee evaluated each city’s bid individually based on 21 key criteria in order to meet FIFA’s bidding requirements. Each city was reviewed on areas ranging from market size, geographical location, climate, existing hotel space and transportation to the availability of adequate training sites, distances between facilities, diversity and its ability to provide a unique fan experience. Also of primary consideration was the history of each city related to soccer, attraction as a tourist destination and history hosting major sporting or cultural events. The stadiums affiliated with each city were judged based on its capacity, premium facilities, pitch size and overlay. The technical bid presented by each local organizing committee was crucial to the selection process as well, demonstrating the level of support and coordination between local government, civic authorities and the community. Also included in the evaluation was the marketing campaign and sustainability plan of each local organizing committee along with the local support logged by their city’s petition counter on www.goUSAbid.com. “We want to thank all of the cities that were involved in this process for both their passion and dedication to the national cause, as well as their endless efforts to present their respective bids,” said John Kristick, Managing Director of the USA Bid Committee. “Since the vast majority of the cities met FIFA’s requirements, it was a difficult process to make the final selection. The final group of cities selected exceed all FIFA requirements in all areas, including infrastructure, community and government support, as well as commitment to utilize the FIFA World Cup and the sport of soccer for higher sustainable social and environmental goals. “Representatives from all 18 cities and their respective stadiums signed agreements that are in full compliance with FIFA’s hosting requirements,” continued Kristick. “These agreements involved a tremendous amount of coordination between State and local government officials along with representatives from the various stadiums and Convention and Visitors Bureaus. The successful execution of this process is a testament to the commitment being shown throughout the United States to earn the right to host the World Cup.” All 18 cities and their related stadiums have much in common in terms of the venues, infrastructure and community support, but they also offer unique distinctions for the United States bid:
FIFA’s criterion requires a candidate host nation to provide stadiums capable of seating 40,000 or more spectators. Stadiums with a minimum capacity of 80,000 are required by FIFA for consideration to play host to the Opening Match or Final Match, a qualification met by seven of the stadiums set for inclusion in the United States bid. The U.S. used stadiums in nine cities when it hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup™ while establishing overall and average attendance records that still stand today despite the expansion of the tournament from 52 to 64 matches beginning in 1998. With the New Meadowlands Stadium on schedule to open across the river from New York City later this year, all 21 of the stadiums to be included in the United States bid currently exist and 14 of those have been built within the last 20 years. The current list of cities for the USA Bid Committee concludes an intensive host city selection process that began in April with representatives from 70 stadiums and more than 50 cities initially expressing interest in being considered for the USA’s bid. The USA Bid Committee then cut the list to 45 stadiums in 38 cities in mid-June following the review of a detailed questionnaire completed by the candidate venues that incorporated the strict FIFA facility requirements into the evaluation process. The United States, Australia, England, Japan and Russia have formally declared their desire to host the FIFA World Cup™ in 2018 or 2022. Netherlands-Belgium and Portugal-Spain have each submitted joint bids for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, while Indonesia, Qatar and South Korea have applied as candidates to play host only to the tournament in 2022. Mexico withdrew its bid in September. Following that announcement, CONCACAF issued a public endorsement for the United States bid in November that pledged the full support of soccer’s governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean.</p> All candidates must have their bid applications to FIFA by May 14, 2010. FIFA’s 24-member Executive Committee will study the bids, conduct site visits and name the two hosts for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments on December 2, 2010, completing a 21-month bid and review process. The USA Bid Committee’s efforts have earned the enthusiastic support of President Barack Obama, who in April reached out to FIFA – the world's governing body of soccer – to endorse the goal of bringing the world’s largest sporting event back to the United States. In a letter to FIFA President Joseph “Sepp” Blatter and U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati, President Obama noted the role soccer played in his life as a youth, and its ability to unite people, communities and nations from every continent. USA Bid Final Cities for inclusion in Bid Book to FIFA for 2018 and 2022:
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