Boston advances in bid to hold World Cup
Seeks to be part of US package
By Milton J. Valencia, Globe Staff | August 20, 2009
Soccer fanatics in Boston rejoice: With the possibility of the FIFA World Cup being held in the United States within the next decade, local officials are trying to make sure Boston plays a role in hosting the world’s premier sports tournament.
The city could be one of 18 that will be part of US Soccer’s final bid package to host the World Cup, either in 2018 or 2022. The final bid will be submitted next year, and a decision could be made by FIFA by the end of 2010.
US Soccer’s USA Bid Committee is expected to reveal today that Boston is one of 27 US cities that has moved on to the last round of the bidding process, after 52 cities initially applied to become part of the overall package.
The final round of the bidding process could have Boston kicking off a major promotional campaign to show off the area’s commitment to soccer and its ability to host matches in the tournament.
“It’s so exciting to know Boston could be hosting the FIFA World Cup and again be able to showcase our city on the international stage,’’ Mayor Thomas M. Menino said yesterday in a statement. “We will continue to work hard to sell our city as the best place for an event of this size and significance.’’
The city plans to team with Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and the New England Revolution, one of Major League Soccer’s most successful teams, in the campaign, holding events and rallies. Robert Kraft, owner of the Revolution and the New England Patriots, is a member of the USA Bid Committee Inc.
Local officials hope to stretch their promotional campaign from New Hampshire and Maine to Rhode Island and Connecticut, with Boston being the only city in the region to move into the final bid process. “Our residents and visitors come from all over the world and soccer is the world sport,’’ Menino said.
The only time the World Cup, a tournament of the 32 top national soccer teams in the world, was held in the United States was in 1994. Today that World Cup remains the largest in turnout in the tournament’s history, with more than 3.5 million people in attendance. That was also before FIFA, or the Fédéral Internationale de Football Association, increased the number of teams in the tournament from 24 to 32.
The turnout is attributed in large part to the country’s many large stadiums. In 1994, nine stadiums - including Gillette, then called Foxborough Stadium - hosted games. The stadium was voted by FIFA as the Most Hospitable of the tournament. Gillette also hosted several games in the Women’s World Cup in 1999.
Stacey James, a spokesman for Gillette Stadium, pointed out that the stadium is a newer, enhanced facility and officials would welcome the opportunity to host the tournament.
“Gillette is a state-of-the-art facility, a great and world-class facility to host a World Cup soccer match, and we hope to have that opportunity,’’ he said. He also pointed to the success of the New England Revolution and the MLS, which opened after the 1994 World Cup.
“Hosting the World Cup again would be a wonderful opportunity to continue to grow the national interested in the sport,’’ he said.
In the upcoming tournaments, FIFA is asking host countries - and their host cities - to do more. As part of the bidding package, Boston will have to show plans for security and hotel and travel logistics. Cities must also hold regular Fan Fests, with activities similar to those that would be held for a baseball All-Star game, and FIFA expects the events could draw as many as 50,000 people a day.
Milton Valencia can be reached at mvalencia@globe.com.
© Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company
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