More than 200 representatives from over 50 organisations gathered at the FIFA World Cup 2026 Observer Programme, a structured knowledge-transfer initiative designed to prepare the next generation of major tournament hosts and sporting bodies for the demands of staging a FIFA World Cup.

A programme built for future hosts

Running for 21 days — from 18 June to 9 July — the programme welcomed three successive groups of Observers, each following a bespoke four-day schedule that included briefings, panel discussions, site visits, shadowing opportunities, and live match observation.

Delegates travelled to Dallas, Texas and Miami, Florida, where they visited key operational sites: the Dallas and Miami stadiums, the Inter Miami FC Venue Specific Training Site, FIFA Fan Festivals, FIFA Headquarters, the Tournament Operations Centre in Miami, and the International Broadcast Centre in Dallas.

Presenters drawn from more than 30 FIFA functional areas shared the decisions, processes, and lessons that shaped the organisation of the largest FIFA World Cup ever staged. The programme offered participants direct insight into governance structures, cross-functional coordination, and the operational scale required to deliver an event of this magnitude.

Brazil 2027 and the road to 2030 and 2034

For the organisers of the FIFA Women's World Cup Brazil 2027, the Observer Programme served as a live operational blueprint. Aline Pellegrino, Executive Director of Legacy and Stakeholder Affairs for Brazil 2027, said the experience would inform the tournament's long-term planning and leave a lasting impact for women's football in Brazil.