FIFA is starting to plant its roots in the U.S. — specifically in South Florida, continuing the trend of soccer organizations capitalizing on a hot market stoked by Lionel Messi.
Since the Argentine legend decided to come to MLS and join Inter Miami, the area has been flooded with new interest from major soccer stakeholders. Even the Argentina Football Association is building an official training facility near Miami Beach that would serve as its headquarters in the U.S.
Now, FIFA is moving more than 100 jobs from its headquarters in Switzerland to Coral Gables, which will house the organization’s legal department and the audit, compliance, and risk management teams.
Miami Vice
The move makes sense for FIFA, which has big business in North America over the next few years.
Not only will the U.S., Canada, and Mexico co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but the revamped FIFA Club World Cup will take place in the U.S. a year earlier. That event is expanding to 32 teams and could see Messi’s Inter Miami squad face off against his former European club foes.
That will be the start of a two-year run for major FIFA events that could stretch into three years, should the U.S. and Mexico joint bid for the 2027 Women’s World Cup be selected.
Either way, FIFA will be spending a lot more time stateside — and Miami will continue to be the soccer capital of the country for the foreseeable future.
