Orlando bullish on FIFA Club World Cup plans for city

12/13/2024 08:44 AM

Orlando, Florida, is a mecca for tourists, and soon, it will be a destination for soccer fans as they descend on the city for a major sporting event: FIFA Club World Cup 2025. At next summer's FIFA Club World Cup, Orlando will host six games, including four Group Stage matches, one Round of 16 game, […]

Orlando, Florida, is a mecca for tourists, and soon, it will be a destination for soccer fans as they descend on the city for a major sporting event: FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

At next summer's FIFA Club World Cup, Orlando will host six games, including four Group Stage matches, one Round of 16 game, and one Quarterfinal. Orlando's four Group Stage matches are Juventus vs. Manchester City (June 26), Club Leon vs. Flamengo (June 24), Benfica vs. Auckland (June 20), and Ulsan vs. Mamelodi Sundowns FC (June 17).

Orlando is one of eleven cities hosting the Club World Cup next summer, but "O-Town" is the only city to host games at two different stadiums — the sprawling Camping World Stadium, which has a capacity of 60,000, and the 25,000-seater Inter&Co Stadium.

It's not just soccer matches that Orlando is hosting either, as Jason Siegel, President and CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission explained to World Soccer Talk during an exclusive interview.

Soccer is rocket fuel for the Orlando area

"We've made international soccer a top priority to become part of the DNA of our community, especially in our sports ecosystem," explained Siegel. "To have an international stage and a spotlight shone on us, this opportunity to host clicks two boxes.

"Certainly the sports ecosystem and what we're trying to do to stimulate economic impact and development, no question. But also with our tourism partners — the theme parks, hoteliers, and restauranteurs — to get the added exposure that will be organically generated by hosting an event of this size with the international scope is significant."

How significant? Before the draw was announced, Siegel conservatively estimated that the economic impact of the Club World Cup on Orlando would be in the neighborhood of $70-90 million. And that's before taking into consideration the FIFA World Cup, which will have a considerably greater economic impact on the area.

Aside from soccer, Orlando has plenty of other new entertainment planned. Universal Studios is opening a new theme park in May 2025 called Epic Universe. It'll feature five new immersive worlds including Super Nintendo World.

Furthermore, Camping World Stadium has a string of concerts planned before the Club World Cup kicks off. Those include Shakira (June 4), Post Malone (June 10), and Stray Kids (June 14).

"We're going to have a busy 2025 and an equally busy 2026," said Siegel. "If you take a look at our typical visitation [numbers] during the months of June and July, we see somewhere in the neighborhood of 600,000 to 700,000 additional visitors coming to the marketplace. So it'd be a great time to have all the excitement going on at the same time on the sports side of things too."

Orlando talks with Brazil officials

Looking further ahead to 2026, Siegel is keeping his fingers crossed that Brazil may be enticed to set up its training base camp in Orlando.

"If Brazil were to have their [pre-World Cup 2026] base camp here that would be a significant bump-up from what other cities may or may not be able to drive on our behalf."

Siegel said that Greater Orlando Sports Commission executives have had great conversations with Brazilian officials. Ultimately, if Brazil qualifies for the competition, the training site decision rests with the CBF (Confederation of Brazilian Football), but Orlando would be an ideal location for many reasons.

First, Florida is home to the largest Brazilian population in the United States. Of those living in Orlando, the Brazilian embassy to the United States estimates it's as many as 190,000. Second, Orlando is a favorite destination for Brazilians. In 2023, 696,000 of them visited Orlando on vacation, representing a 21% increase from the previous year. Third, Orlando has a long list of training sites to choose from that are regularly used by visiting clubs and national teams.

Orlando investing in soccer

Furthermore, there are more soccer plans in the works.

"In 2025, we anticipate the FC Series, [organized by] our friends over at Florida Citrus Sports, will also host as they have many times before some Premier League [friendlies], so you'd have the lead-in being Club World Cup [before the FC Series games happen later in the summer]," Siegel noted.

Camping World Stadium is often used as one of the host stadiums for the FC Series of international friendlies.

Looking further ahead, Orlando is investing $400 million in improvements to prepare the stadium for 2026.

From World Cup 1994 to the home of Orlando City SC in MLS, Orlando has a rich history of successfully hosting major soccer games and tournaments. Take your pick from current NWSL Championship winners Orlando Pride to US Soccer internationals and pre-season games, Orlando has seen it all.

No doubt, the future for Orlando and soccer looks bright in the Sunshine State with the Club World Cup just over seven months away.

"The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 offers a unique opportunity to showcase Orlando on the global stage and forge connections with fans and worldwide," concluded Siegel. "We are honored to work with FIFA to deliver a truly unforgettable experience for all and leave a lasting legacy in our community."

Photo credit: IMAGO / Pond5 Images