Here's the likely reason Indy missed out on being a 2026 FIFA World Cup host city
INDIANAPOLIS – After Indianapolis hosted Super Bowl XLVI, the consensus was clear: This town is built for hosting world-class events. Media personalities from NFL.com, ESPN and more all swooned about Hoosier hospitality and downtown's walkable layout.
In 2010, two years after Lucas Oil Stadium was completed, Indianapolis was one of 18 cities the USA selected for its pitch to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Indy beat out some notable cities, including Chicago, Orlando and San Francisco.
So perhaps it was natural that, last August, Indianapolis put in a bid to be a 2026 FIFA World Cup host. Being selected would have meant two things: A ton of money (FIFA expects the event to generate $11 billion in profits), and for a city like Indianapolis, a rare shot at international media attention.
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By October, though, Indy was bumped from the shortened list of 32 cities. Indy Sports Corp President Ryan Vaughn, who oversaw the bid, said this city is close.
"We win on every other element of the bid," Vaughn said. "We have the history, our downtown is constructed to be a destination location for events. Geographically, there's nothing better than being in the middle of the country.
"For us, it was really the venue and the need for an MLS fan base."
FIFA announced Thursday that North America would host the World Cup for the first time since 1994. A joint effort by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, dubbed the United Bid, beat out Morocco's pitch 134 votes to 65.
The United Bid touted the number of quality stadiums available in North America, which is something Morocco couldn't match. As for the 17 U.S. cities still in the running, only three don't have an MLS franchise (or plans for one). Two of those — San Francisco (San Jose Earthquakes) and Denver (Colorado Rapids) — aren't far from the nearest franchise.
And while Vaughn points to Lucas Oil Stadium's playing surface as a road block, Atlanta, Dallas and Houston have similar retractable roofs and artificial turf. The only stadium on the list not used by an NFL team is Orlando's Camping World Stadium, which hosts college football games and concerts.
Indy Eleven President Jeff Belskus wonders if Indy's neighbors hurt its chances this time around. Nashville, Cincinnati and Kansas City are all still in the running.
"There were a lot of cities throughout the Midwest," Belskus said. "I think that's part of why we weren't selected. But FIFA has very specific requirements, and some cities are much more aggressive with their bids."
U.S. cities considered as FIFA World Cup 2026 hosts
Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
Baltimore* (M&T Bank Stadium)
Boston (Gillette Stadium)
Cincinnati** (Paul Brown Stadium)
Dallas (AT&T Stadium)
Denver* (Sports Authority Field)
Houston (NRG Stadium)
Kansas City (Arrowhead Stadium)
Los Angeles (Rose Bowl/NFL Stadium)
Miami** (Hard Rock Stadium)
Nashville** (Nissan Stadium)
New York/New Jersey (MetLife Stadium)
Orlando (Camping World Stadium)
Philadelphia (Lincoln Stadium)
San Francisco* (Levi's Stadium)
Seattle (Century Link Field)
Washington, D.C. (FedEx Field)
*No MLS team
**No MLS team, but will have teams by 2020
Lucas Oil, where the Indy Eleven played on artificial turf this season, is not a premier soccer venue. After England's Chelsea and Italy's Inter Milan played a friendly on natural grass laid over the stadium's turf in August 2013, one player said by way of a translator: "The stadium itself was fantastic. The field was very crappy. Very dangerous to play on that kind of field."
There's also an issue of space. Because of where Lucas Oil's front row of seats is situated, the widest possible soccer pitch is 70 yards. That's FIFA's minimum width for a playing surface, and it makes corner kicks incredibly tight.
"No venue is ever perfect for any one event," Vaughn said. "I can tell you that."
You can find IndyStar sports producer Dakota Crawford on Twitter: @DakotaCrawford_.