Are FIFA’s World Cup changes permanent?
Hydration breaks, longer halftimes and expansion talks could signal a lasting shift in FIFA tournaments.
The 2026 World Cup was the biggest tournament yet. The expanded field of 48 teams meant there was 104 matches played, the most ever. The competition, which was won by Spain after they beat defending champion Argentina, set records for viewership and attendance with 6.8 million people watching a match in person.
Beyond the facts and figures, the 16 stadiums that held matches across the United States, Mexico and Canada were home to memories that fans will carry with them for a lifetime.
Populous, a renowned design and architecture firm based in Kansas City, has worked with FIFA on 10 World Cups between the men’s and women’s competitions and was tapped to prepare all 16 of the stadiums for this summer’s tournament.
“We really strive to create long-lasting memories,” Kelly Holton, Senior Principal and Brand Activation Director for Populous told USA TODAY Sports. “These moments mean a lot to people, whether you experienced it with your son or daughter or friends, it can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And giving people the power to capture that and tell their own story of how that felt for generations to come is part of the intent.”
“Football is a great unifier,” Jonathan Mallie, Populous’ Senior Principal and Managing Director of the Americas, said in a separate interview. “… When a goal is scored, it’s such a special moment, and there’s kind of a release of excitement.”
In the past, Populous has designed new stadiums for the World Cup. That was not needed for the 2026 competition since all 16 venues existed already. Instead, the work consisted of what in architecture terms is called “overlay.”
Overlay is the process of placing a stadium design on top of an already existing venue. That includes fencing, tents, generators, trailers, signage and other reconstructive elements to prepare for transportation, broadcast, fan experience and the match itself.
“Event overlay is as complex in its own way,” Mallie said, compared to creating an entirely new venue.
“When a major event comes to town, including things like the World Cup, but it could be an Olympics, it could be a Super Bowl, the impact it has on a stadium is fairly severe,” Jeff Keas, Populous’ Senior Principal and Senior Event Architect, said in his own conversation with USA TODAY Sports. “It does not operate the same.”
On the surface, all sponsorship logos had to be covered up per FIFA’s guidelines that also changed the names of stadiums to neutral monikers based on the city each venue was located in. But on a deeper level, some of the bowls had to be made wider to account for FIFA’s pitch dimensions. Another adjustment was artificial turf had to be swapped for natural grass, which Keas said “was a big thing. But it was also amazing.”
Keas was on site at SoFi Stadium when the process of switching out the turf for grass was underway. He described how the change was much more than just putting dirt on the ground, but there’s a drainage system and several layers of different soil. Then the grass itself is a carefully crafted product from experts at the University of Tennessee and Michigan State University.
Making Kansas City a fan favorite World Cup city
Poplulous also worked closely with KC2026 to create a welcoming, cohesive experience for the teams that played in Kansas City and their supporters. The company helped design and implement signage at the airport, wraps on bus stations and showcase the Kansas City Streetcar.
They worked with FIFA and KC2026 to create Fan Fest, a free, family-friendly experience and the more exclusive KC House for business networking. The signage all presented a welcoming tone and even had clever sayings like, “We’re happy you’re here whether you came for the match or the misting fan.”
Organizers wanted to make sure people from all walks of life across the globe felt welcome while celebrating everything that Kansas City has to offer. Tech N9ne, the independent rap titan who created the city’s Sonic ID or anthem for the World Cup, was among the performers at Fan Fest and there was plenty of barbecue. Everyone was thrilled when Kansas City’s own Jason Sudeikis appeared in the World Cup final halftime show as his beloved character, Ted Lasso.
The city had invested millions of dollars into its soccer facilities even before the World Cup, which allowed Kansas City to be the headquarters for four teams in the tournament. CPKC Stadium for the Kansas City Current was completed in 2024 and was the first stadium built specifically for a women’s team. Populous designed Sporting Kansas City’s training facility, Compass Minerals National Performance Center, which opened in 2018. This is where Lionel Messi and Argentina were based.
“It is amazing and one of the things we had hoped for was to really showcase to a global audience the vitality of our economy, our culture, the welcoming character of our people,” Pam Kramer, CEO of KC2026 said on an episode of Bloomberg’s Business of Sports podcast. “And with the most famous player in the world training here and playing here, that certainly gave us a platform to do that. I think we’ve also seen the passion and the joy of not just the Argentina fans, but I would say the global soccer fan meeting the heart of Kansas City and it has created some moments that we couldn’t have scripted or dreamed of. It’s been pretty special.”
Kansas City Current star Temwa Chawinga was the Coin Toss Assistant for Argentina’s opening match at Arrowhead Stadium and she got to shake Messi’s hand.
“How can we learn something from them to bring in our game, the women’s game?” she pondered to USA TODAY Sports in an interview conducted earlier this summer about furthering the World Cup’s energy.
A favorite memory for the Populous team was the Netherlands’ Oranje Fanwalk ahead of their group match against Tunisia. An estimated 36,000 fans flooded the streets of Kansas City walking up to the Fan Fest donning orange to celebrate their team.
Holton said she was “blown away” by the march and that it was “really incredible.”
Populous also created the KC Heart Gateway at the entrance to the FIFA Fan Festival on the lawn at the National World War I Museum and Memorial. The 65-foot bright red structure became a recognizable landmark throughout the tournament. Fans took photos in front of it for The Gram and it stood out in the background of photos from the watch parties, concerts and other events held at the Fan Fest. The heart represented Kansas City as the gateway to the Midwest and the warmth and hospitality of the city.
U.S. Marine Noah Stein received his promotion to Gunnery Sergeant at the heart. Kramer said that there were four wedding proposals under the heart. Felicia Hess, a member of the Populous team, got married under the heart.
“The heart connected with the community in such a way that even surprised us,” Holton said.
The Populous Process
The team at Populous was part of the group that put together the United Bid for the 2026 World Cup, bringing together the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament was awarded to the three countries in June of 2018, which allowed everyone to lock in with planning and implementing the World Cup process.
Populous originally considered 50 stadiums as host venues and whittled down the list to 23 for FIFA to choose from and finalize the 16 stadiums. Fun fact: the Rose Bowl, which held the 1994 World Cup final, was in the original bid. SoFi Stadium, which eventually held matches for the 2026 competition instead of the older venue, wasn’t in the original bid because it wasn’t even built yet.
Then a little thing called COVID happened that wiped out an entire year of work.
Keas said his team was “pedal to the metal” and “it was a sprint from the beginning.”
Part of what helps speed up the process is that the architects can follow the International Building Code (IBC) that lays out different standards for anything installed for less than 180 days – compared to permanent structures.
In general, the collaboration with FIFA and local officials is a fluid one with constant communication.
“We’re designing while FIFA is also developing their operational plan,” Keas said, “and so sometimes it’s a little bit of three steps forward, one step back. It’s not exactly a pure linear thing, but we’re used to that.”
Oftentimes, there is an education process with local officials as to what the procedure is to revamp not just a building, but the land around it, too, and how temporary it all is.
“We know what you can, what you can’t do, and sometimes we do have to go to code officials with cities, and they’re used to bricks and mortar. Let’s face it, right?” Keas explained. “And we go in there with I kind of jokingly say vinyl and aluminum, and say, you know, ‘It’s gonna go up. It’s gonna come down.'”
Keas expounded upon the importance of keeping the authorities in the loop from the beginning.
“Don’t lay something at their feet six months, three months before the tournament and say, ‘Surprise! We’re coming,'” he said. “Bring them along the journey and let them know what you’re planning to do, and then that goes a long ways to, no pun intended, but bring them inside the tent.
“Maybe a little pun intended.”
The stadium social media accounts had fun after the World Cup removing the sheets covering logos and other overlay to announce the return of the American football season.
Keas explained how carefully timed every step of the journey is.
“All of those dates are in the venue use agreement document, so all the stadiums know exactly when they have to have a clean venue, when they can take things down, and that’s all communicated well in advance,” he said. “And they have to, right? Because those stadiums have a business to run. They need to say, ‘Well, we have to get ready for a concert’ or name your next event, and they’re keen to get the thing transitioned as quickly as possible.”
Half of the venues, including Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, were stadiums Populous had already played a role in designing or renovating.
The company was in charge of designing Estadio BBVA in Monterrey with the iconic view of the mountains. Beyond the World Cup, Populous designed the new Wembley Stadium and its signature arch.
“We’re fortunate enough to have enough presence and enough experience around the country and the world that we can provide these bespoke solutions for each of the venues,” Mallie said.
Estadio Azteca in Mexico City is a stadium that Populous was already overseeing renovations for and was able to facilitate another chapter of its rich history. Mexico is the first country to host the World Cup three times and the venue served as the backdrop for Pelé hoisting the trophy for Brazil and Diego Maradona’s glory with Argentina.
Mallie was in attendance this summer at Mexico’s World Cup opener against South Africa.
“When you fill the Azteca you can feel the community around you,” he shared.
He recalled the crowd’s reaction to significant moments of the match and especially enjoyed when fans threw the paper sombreros that were given out.
“I’ve been to a lot of matches and games in my life, I never actually like kind of laughed,” he said. “… It was memorable, the laughter that just came out of everybody because it was like this spectacle that you don’t ever see. So I think those little unexpected moments, they’re memories that last a lifetime, and I know that happened almost at every venue in its own way.”
Mallie also got to watch the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in person. As a New Yorker, he felt a “certain pride” being a part of such a significant moment in his community.
“It’s such a momentous thing that’s probably a once in a lifetime opportunity,” he said. “It’s those moments that connect not just me to my city but everybody to their cities that attended the matches, and it’s it’s super exciting that we were a part of it.”
Keas was able to enjoy the United States’ group finale against Turkey at SoFi Stadium.
“I was able to become a fan instead of looking at it through the lens of ‘Well, I’m working on this,’” he said. “For a moment, I was able just to recalibrate my brain and think more like a fan, which was good fun. And it was. It was a great experience.”
Populous is already on board for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups. But this summer, it was special to look back on their work for the 1994 World Cup, which was also in the United States and set the previous attendance record.
A main goal of many organizers for this World Cup was not only for the United States to do well on the pitch, but to grow the love of football across the country.
Ahead of this summer’s kickoff, Keas sent a reflective email to the designers of the 1994 tournament acknowledging a passing of the torch moment. After the fact, he was able to process how the beautiful game has indeed grown in those 32 years.
“Going from 32 teams to 48 teams, and going from nine stadiums in ‘94 up to 16 stadiums here in ‘26,” he said, “it just blew everything out of the water.”
