FIFA World Cup 2026 - Welcome to Philadelphia!
After months of hard work on the bid, the World Cup is coming to Philadelphia! Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer is ecstatic to bring the biggest stage in soccer to our area for all our youth soccer players to enjoy. This once in a lifetime experience will inspire the dreams of many youth players and elevate the game of soccer in our Eastern Pennsylvania communities.
At 5:30 PM on June 16th, thousands gathered at Love Park anxiously anticipating the announcement. The first city announced on the East Coast was Boston, shortly thereafter FIFA announced Philadelphia as the second host city to a thunderous reaction from the crowd. Fans jumped up and down, waved their "The Bid is WON" posters, and hugged those around them in pure happiness. Following the announcement, Eastern Pennsylvania's own US National Team player Christian Pulisic shared a message on the big screens exciting the crowd yet again!
On stage for the event amongst other sponsors of the bid was our very own Chief Executive Officer, Chris Branscome, who graciously accepted appreciation for Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer's contributions to the bid. Here's what Chris had to say about the big day, "This is a great moment for soccer in Eastern Pennsylvania. This is a generational opportunity to highlight our sport and grow the game at all levels. I have to thank all of our members for their support and enthusiasm over the last four years - they helped win the bid as much as anyone."
Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer was well represented by youth players at Love Park who received some fun giveaways and took turns striking soccer balls at our inflatable dartboard aiming for the bullseye! Thank you to all participants and supporters of this historic day and for all your hard work leading up to the announcement!
We can't wait for 2026!