The countdown is officially on. With one year until the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup kicks off across North America, the soccer world came together today in celebrations that spanned from network boardrooms to city squares. From Telemundo’s full day of programming to FOX Sports’ star-studded South Beach special, and grassroots celebrations in all 16 host cities, June 11, 2025 was a milestone in the lead up to what promises to be the most anticipated World Cup in history.
Here’s how the major players commemorated this milestone moment:
Telemundo Kicks Off Historic World Cup Countdown
Telemundo marked the milestone with major announcements positioning themselves as the cultural home of Spanish-language soccer coverage in the United States. The network unveiled unprecedented coverage plans, including all 104 games live on Telemundo and Universo, and established the first-ever national soccer day in U.S. history.
In addition to unveiling their tournament coverage plans, Telemundo went all out to celebrate the 365-day countdown—and we were on the ground to help them usher in the momentous occasion. We’ll have more details and content to follow, but in short, we aided with:
- Floating Fútbol Celebration: At the Telemundo Center’s Fan Fest, the network held an unforgettable Miami experience filled with music, FIFA legends, Telemundo talent, and fútbol fun on the water
- Cross-platform promotion: NBC’s Today Show featured the below segment, expanding Telemundo’s countdown coverage across NBCUniversal networks. Check out the live remote at the 3:15 mark for a few familiar faces in the background 👀
Additional Telemundo activity:
- Historic “El Día Nacional del Fútbol”: June 11 proclaimed as America’s first national soccer day, with announcement displayed in Times Square
- Launched “El Mundial Es Nuestro”: A campaign celebrating Latino soccer passion with cinematic storytelling inviting everyone to experience the World Cup
- Massive production footprint: On-site presence at all matches across 16 host cities with studios in Mexico City, Miami, and New York
- New programming launches: “Tras La Huella Del Fútbol” documentary premiered, a weekly news segments tracking World Cup updates called “Camino Al Trofeo” starting June 18, and a 24/7 sports channel “Telemundo Deportes Ahora” will launch in August 2025
- Cross-network promotion: On programs like “Hoy Dia” and “La Mesa Caliente,” Telemundo continued the celebration with World Cup-themed activities, including a human foosball tournament with Telemundo talent (see clip below)
FOX Sports Announces Star-Studded South Beach Celebration
FOX Sports, the English-language home of FIFA World Cup 2026, is planning a major primetime celebration to mark the one-year countdown. The network will host a live special that brings together soccer legends, celebrities, and musical performances in an iconic Miami setting.
Event Details:
- Live primetime special: “FIFA World Cup 26™: One Year to Go” one-hour broadcast will originate from South Beach and airs Friday, June 13 at 8 PM ET on FOX
- Star-studded hosting team: Charissa Thompson and Stu Holden host, with Alexi Lalas and Tom Rinaldi conducting interviews
- Exclusive content: Sit-down interview with USMNT Head Coach Mauricio Pochettino and live musical performances
- Celebrity appearances: FIFA legends, dignitaries, and special guests throughout the evening
Host Cities Join Countdown Celebration
The 16 host cities across North America coordinated their own celebrations today, bringing the World Cup countdown directly to the communities that will welcome millions of fans in 2026.
But before their events got started, FIFA and President Gianni Infantino shared two videos discussing the one-year milestone and tournament prep: officially one-year out and declaring next year’s tournament to be the most spectacular ever.
Back to the cities—each did numerous activities yesterday. Here’s a quick rundown of things that caught our eye:
- Countdown clock unveilings: If you watched the one-year out video above you got a sneak peak at the branded outdoor countdown clocks in prominent public locations in each market. Here are Philadelphia, Boston, Dallas, and Mexico City as examples
- New York/New Jersey goes big: In Liberty State Park, the host committee held a celebration fitting for the Big Apple that included former Giant Victor Cruz, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and First Lady Tammy Murphy, a representative from the NYC Mayor’s Office, and more. Even Ronaldo and Messi stopped by
- Guadalajara all-day festival: Hosted a fan celebration that included the DJ who created the city’s official World Cup Sonic ID
- Los Angeles brings the star power: On the historic FOX Studio Lot, the LA host committee held a big celebration that featured Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunting, Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, along with soccer legends Cobi Jones and Brandi Chastain
- Levi Stadium adds new hardware: In the Bay Area, a commemorative plaque was unveiled outside of the 49ers’ Levi Stadium to mark the one-year out milestone
- Seattle gets the region involved: After unveiling the countdown clock in the morning, the Seattle host committee then held fan zone events in the region, and even as far as Spokane. And to cap it all off, the Seattle Sounders held a clinic at Pier 62
- Local celebs weigh in: Kansas City enlisted local actor Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family), Toronto-native Will Arnett discussed what makes the city a great destination for fans, Marc Anthony hyped up Miami, Killer Mike spoke of Atlanta’s pride and passion, Olympian Karina LeBlanc introduced the one-year countdown for Vancouver, Houston turned to NASA and Mission Control, and Mexican wrestling legend Blue Demon Jr. represented Monterrey