Making the Pitch

A delegation of Cincinnati business leaders representing the 2026 CINCY Local Organizing Committee (LOC) along with Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval presented at Soccerex Americas in Miami on March 15 to bolster Cincinnati’s campaign as a Host City for FIFA World Cup 2026.

At the close of the presentation Mayor Pureval offered his personal cell phone number telling FIFA officials that they were one phone call away from any assistance they may need when hosting FIFA World Cup matches in Cincinnati.

Soccerex Americas is an event hosted in partnership with Concacaf, US Soccer Federation, Major League Soccer and LaLiga to connect 2,000+ senior executives from the soccer communities in North, Central and South America to offer programming on soccer industry trends, workshops and networking opportunities. FIFA and US Soccer executives will also attend the event.

The 2026 CINCY Delegation included

• Aftab Pureval, Mayor of Cincinnati

• Jeff Berding, Co-CEO of FC Cincinnati & 2026 CINCY LOC

• Julie Calvert, President & CEO of Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau

• Andy Conklin, Vice President of the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau

• Shelley Delaney, Sales Manager for Sports, Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau

• Gary Lindgren, President of the Cincinnati Business Committee & 2026 CINCY LOC

• Jackie Reau, CEO of Game Day & 2026 CINCY LOC

• Gina Rittinger, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at REDI Cincinnati

• Ian Smith, Business Development Director at REDI Cincinnati

• Amy Spiller, President of Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky and 2026 CINCY
  Co-Chair of the Human Rights Committee

  For more information on Cincinnati’s bid to host FIFA World Cup 2026, visit 2026Cincy.com.

2026 CINCY, a community collaborative created to host 2026 FIFA World Cup in Cincinnati, Ohio, includes the city’s top government, safety, corporate, sports and civic leaders committed to hosting a world-class event.

“Cincinnati’s bid to host FIFA World Cup will shine a light on the passionate soccer fan base in the Queen City, the compassionate leaders working on human rights initiatives and the outstanding venues and facilities,” said Mayor Pureval. “Cincinnati is well positioned to represent the United States as a World Cup host city. With 60% of the nation’s population within an eight-hour drive of Cincinnati, the city is located at the center of America’s heartland.”

At Soccerex Americas, Cincinnati will have a presence at the Expo with a Cincinnati-branded booth.