SAN FRANCISCO : The San Francisco Bay Area is poised to achieve a unique sporting milestone, with Levi’s Stadium set to become the first venue in the world to host both a Super Bowl and a FIFA World Cup match in the same calendar year.
While the region’s role as a World Cup host has been known since FIFA released the tournament schedule in December, the Bay Area Host Committee used a press conference on Monday to underline the momentum surrounding the achievement as Super Bowl week begins.
The Super Bowl, featuring the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Sunday. The venue will then stage six World Cup matches in June and July, making it the only stadium globally to host both events within months of each other.
“I know that we’re going to put on a great Super Bowl and, a couple of months from now, we’ll host the World Cup, being the only region and only stadium to host both in the same calendar year,” San Francisco 49ers President Al Guido said.
The Bay Area also hosted the NBA All-Star Game at San Francisco’s Chase Center in February last year, with events spread across the region. Guido cited that experience as evidence of the area’s ability to deliver major international sporting spectacles, highlighting close cooperation with public-sector partners.
The Super Bowl alone is expected to generate around $500 million in economic impact and create more than 10,000 jobs across the Bay Area, Guido said.
Zaileen Janmohamed, president of the Bay Area Host Committee, said the Super Bowl would showcase the region’s “spirit of inclusion, innovation and impact” across nine counties.
“Get ready for a Super Bowl like no other,” Janmohamed said.
The FIFA World Cup begins on June 11 and will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, with matches taking place across venues in North America.
