World Cup may invade West Orlando in 2026

Local leaders propose spending $50 million to bring a major disruption to West Orlando. That disruption is the 2026 World Cup soccer matches for men. One of the main venues for this event -- which would bring thousands of people from around the world -- is Camping World Stadium. This initiative was announced late last month. It is being pushed by Orlando, Orange County and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission. Local elected officials working on collaboration with the Greater Orlando Sports Commission are preparing a bid for Orlando to be selected as one of 16 cities in the United States hosting the matches. The officials say that the World Cup will bring an economic impact of $600 million to $1 billion to the Orlando area. In response to questions from us, Jason Siegel, CEO of the Greater Orlando Sports Commission responded: “We believe that bidding on the 2026 FIFA World Cup will have a positive impact on Westside residents and on the region as a w...