Cincinnati is a finalist to become a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and on Tuesday, representatives from the Queen City will participate in a virtual workshop to discuss bidding plans.
This doesn’t mean Cincinnati will definitely host games – we won’t know for sure until 2021 – but it’s the next step in showing this city’s love of the beautiful game to the rest of the world.
On Monday, I published an interview with FC Cincinnati President Jeff Berding to discuss the city’s bid. On Tuesday, journalist Grant Wahl joined the Orange and Blue Review podcast to talk about Cincinnati’s chances of hosting World Cup games.
During the interview, Wahl, one of the country’s most prominent soccer journalist, praised the city’s enthusiasm for soccer.
“This is a great soccer city, full stop,” he said. “(The World Cup bid) is reflective of all the things that have happened in Cincinnati with the growth of soccer in recent years and just the outpouring of fans that we’ve seen.
“It wouldn’t surprise me at all that Cincinnati would bid to host World Cup games. I’m not the one deciding, but I think it would be a good candidacy in terms of soccer atmosphere, good city and a place that’s probably more of an international city than maybe everybody around the U.S. knows, but that’s definitely the case.”
You can listen to the full interview on this week’s Orange and Blue Review episode, which also includes an interview with FCC player Saad Abdul-Salaam ahead of the #HellIsReal Derby.
Additionally, you can listen to Fútbol with Grant Wahl, a podcast that began in May.
