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From turf to turnstiles, one company is helping build the 2026 FIFA World Cup from the ground up—and it just got purchased in a deal worth more than $1 billion.
Private-equity firm Providence Equity Partners on Wednesday acquired a majority stake in Global Critical Logistics (GCL), parent of Rock-It Cargo, which last year was selected to be the official logistics provider for next year’s World Cup.
Financial details were not disclosed, but a person familiar with the matter confirmed to Front Office Sports that the deal is worth more than $1 billion.
“FIFA is a game-changer for us, no question,” GCL president and CEO Dan Rosenthal tells FOS. “Next year’s World Cup will be the largest event in sports history.”
What exactly will Rock-It Cargo be doing for the World Cup? Well, everything. The expansive event will feature a record 48 teams and have more than one host country for the first time since 2022; games will be held in 16 stadiums across three nations: the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
“If you take any of those stadiums and turn them upside down, anything that shakes out, we will have assisted in getting into place,” Rosenthal says.
That includes turnstiles, the pitch itself, ref uniforms, player kits, weights that the teams will use in training, and more.
“Everything brought in to be used across the cities and in the venues, we will be assisting in importing, storing things in warehouses, transporting them to the venues, everything,” he says. “This event will set the stage for our growth to come.”
GCL landed the gig after a “highly competitive process,” and Rosenthal says FIFA ultimately selected his company due to its commitment to its craft, culture, and experience helping with major international events.
“We have uniquely different customs expertise compared to competitors,” he says.
Providence doesn’t only invest directly in sports, but it has a healthy history of investing in areas surrounding sports leagues and franchises. Its first sports-related investment was the YES Network, and other investments have included the business behind the Ironman Triathlon events, the marketing arm of Major League Soccer, and college sports marketing company Learfield.
Recent acquisitions for Providence included the 2022 purchase of sports agency Wasserman—which represents players from the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more—as well as the 2023 deal for a minority stake in Missouri-based sports and entertainment architectural and design firm Populous.
“We invest in the services ecosystem surrounding sports,” Scott Marimow, managing director at Providence, tells FOS. “GCL fits perfectly in with that strategy.”
The seller, ATL Partners, will retain a minority stake in GCL.
