RismadarVoice Reporters, February 8, 2026
FIFA will distribute 100,000 soccer balls to 500 cities across the United States as part of efforts to build excitement ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has announced.
Infantino made the disclosure while addressing delegates at the United States Conference of Mayors’ (USCM) Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C.
Each of the 500 member cities represented at the meeting will receive 200 soccer balls in the build-up to the tournament, which the United States will co-host with Canada and Mexico.
According to a post published on FIFA’s official website on Sunday, the balls are expected to be used for celebratory and community football events ahead of the tournament, which kicks off on June 11, 2026.
Beyond the host cities for the matches, several other U.S. cities will play key roles during the competition by serving as base camps for participating teams. Of the 64 proposed Team Base Camps currently identified, 50 are located in the United States.
Infantino told the mayors that U.S. cities are projected to benefit from a significant collective economic boost estimated at about $30 billion, as more than seven million fans from around the world are expected to attend the tournament.
Reacting to the announcement, USCM President and Mayor of Oklahoma City, David Holt, described the donation as a major highlight of the meeting.
“We were thrilled to welcome FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the FIFA World Cup trophy to our winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors,” Holt said in a social media post.
