From Bid to Kickoff: How Cleary Gottlieb Helped Bring the World Cup to North America

As the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) heads into the knockout stage of the World Cup this Wednesday, it’s a moment more than eight years in the making for Cleary Gottlieb.

In 2018, Cleary represented Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in connection with its evaluation of the North American bid for the 2026 World Cup, which was jointly submitted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Cleary advised FIFA in reviewing the U.S. portion of the bid. Cleary provided the FIFA delegates with a detailed analysis of potential legal issues for conducting the world’s premier tournament, including compliance and risk assessment, contract rights, corporate structures, intellectual property, potential disputes, and real estate. The bid was the first to propose three nations as co-hosts, requiring first-of-its-kind legal advice.

As the world now knows, on June 13, 2018, the North American bid for the 2026 World Cup was selected by the FIFA delegates over the Moroccan bid by a vote of 134 votes to 65 votes.

Cleary’s longstanding multidisciplinary approach to legal advice, our depth of experience and execution capability across a wide range of practices, industries, and offices, and proven ability to execute at the highest level made the firm a perfect fit for this assignment.

“It is rewarding to see the 2026 World Cup now underway across North America, knowing the incredible work our team did to help make this historic tournament a reality,” said partner Jennifer Kennedy Park. “It was an honor to bring to bear our elite experience across practice areas and geographies in support of FIFA’s evaluation and selection of the first-of-its-kind North American bid. Cleary always shines but especially so when confronted with unique, complex situations.”

The tournament is currently jointly hosted by 16 cities across North America; 78 matches, including the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final, are in the U.S., while Canada and Mexico are hosting 13 matches. The tournament is the first hosted by three nations and is the first to feature an expanded field of 48 teams.

“Helping FIFA navigate the legal complexities of the first-ever three-nation World Cup bid was an exciting opportunity, and watching the tournament come to life eight years later is an extraordinary moment for our team,” said partner Jeffrey Rosenthal. “With the final set to take place right on our doorstep, there is a special sense of pride in knowing the role we played in bringing the world’s biggest sporting event to our home turf.”

The final match will be held at the New York New Jersey Stadium on July 19, 2026, and a Cleary contingent will be at the USA v. Bosnia game Wednesday to cheer on the nation’s team and celebrate the firm’s work.

The Cleary team was led by partners Jeffrey Rosenthal and Jennifer Kennedy Park, with assistance from partner Daniel Ilan on intellectual property matters.