NEW YORK – On Thursday, just after 5:30 p.m., Philadelphia’s place in the sports world changed forever.

After many years of waiting, the city has officially hosted the Men’s World Cup, the world’s largest and most famous sporting event, for the first time.

In 2026, Philadelphia will be part of a group of co-organizers of the sporting event: 48 national teams, which will play a total of 80 matches across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Other host cities will be Toronto and Vancouver in Canada; Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco (actually Santa Clara) and Seattle in the United States; and Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey, Mexico.

A surprising inclusion was Boston’s offer. Washington’s joint offer with Baltimore was the most surprising exclusion. Cincinnati, Denver, Edmonton, Orlando and Nashville also failed.

This was announced by FIFA, the governing body of world football, during a television show broadcast from Manhattan to the world. Hershey’s Christian Pulisic, the biggest star of the American men’s team, was part of the show. And LOVE Park in Center City hosted exuberant celebrations attended by fans, local young players and city representatives, the Eagles and the Union.

Among them was Union captain Alejandro Bedoya, who played for the USA at the Men’s World Championships in 2014. Some of his current and former colleagues – including Pulisic, Zack Steffen of Downingtown and Brenden and Paxten Aaronson of Medford – could play in the tournament in 2026. Pulisic, Steffen and Brenden Aaronson are on course to play in this autumn’s edition in Qatar and play for some of the world’s most famous club teams.

Everyone knows the chant popularized by Union fans and then taken over by the Eagles, who was taken from the culture of English football fans: “Nobody likes us, we don’t care.” These words turned out to be untrue. Philadelphia is the world’s most popular sport.

»READ MORE: The Eagles had to prove FIFA’s environmental standards to Lincoln Financial Field

Philadelphia has also adopted the World Game in recent years to a much greater extent than ever before. The city regularly ranks among the best in terms of television viewing in the English Premier League, the German Bundesliga and other major football competitions, and has incorporated the Union (albeit slowly) into its professional sports scene.

In the 19 years since Lincoln Financial Field opened, the Eagles Stadium has become a football incubator. In fact, it was from the beginning: His inaugural event was the Barcelona-Manchester United exhibition. Later that year, the stadium helped organize the Women’s World Cup in a short time as it moved from China to the United States.

(And let me remind you: 2026 will not be the first World Cup played in the city, it will be the first men World Cup.)

Since then, a wide range of football events have taken place on the untouched grass of Linca, from national team competitions to European club shows. Subaru Park Union has also helped put the region on a football map since its opening in 2010.

The Philadelphia region, which matches the birthplace of America, has given American national teams a home-side advantage. The men’s and women’s teams have a combined record of 25-6-4 in the matches that have taken place here over the years.

The largest company in Philadelphia, located a few blocks from City Hall, is one of the biggest proofs of football’s popularity – and profitability. Comcast has spent about $ 4.5 billion over the past 10 years on the purchase of broadcasting rights for the World Cup and the English Premier League with games on its largest television networks and streaming platforms. The World Cup agreement began in 2015 and includes match rights in 2026 in Spanish, with the news being led by America’s most famous football broadcaster, Andrés Cantor.

It’s no secret that Comcast’s influence has helped make Philadelphia’s offering a success. When FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani toured the city last September, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and Telemundo President Beau Ferrari were at key meetings to support the city.

»READ MORE: How Comcast helped win the Philadelphia World Cup

The presence of football in Philadelphia has also increased with the growing diversity of Philadelphia. Immigrants from all over the world supported the city’s population growth in 2010-20, which was the largest such increase in the last 70 years. Just as they built the world’s restaurant scene in the region, they built the world’s top game here.

Now Philadelphia will join one of the most exclusive clubs in the sport and will crown the moment as a metropolis on the global stage.

And thousands of football fans can dream here that Italy will play its first men’s World Cup match in twelve years at a place where tricolor flags are rich. Or about the Irish team, which brings a sea of ​​green-clad supporters. Or Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea and other football powers coming to the city.

They may even dream of hosting the biggest national party for America’s 250th birthday, as many people have done.

The U.S.-England World Cup quarterfinals on July 4, 2026, just a few miles south of Independence Hall.

»READ MORE: The dream came true for Brenden Aaronson with Leeds United and the American men’s football team