Cincinnati is among 17 cities in the United States vying to host 2026 FIFA World Cup matches. There’s a wide variety of reasons why Cincinnati would be a wonderful place to host World Cup matches.

The 17 American cities campaigning to host matches span the mainland. Cincinnati joins Kansas City as the midwestern candidate host cities. In the east, there’s Baltimore, Boston, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. Southern cities vying to host matches are Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Orlando and Nashville. While Denver, Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle are western candidate host cities. Ultimately eleven of these cities will be selected to host matches. For the first FIFA World Cup with a 48 team field.

Several factors will weigh into FIFA’s decision for which cities will host matches. Geographic considerations will likely be one of the biggest factors. Cincinnati’s central location stands out as a potential advantage. Cincinnati is within a day’s drive or a quick flight away from other candidate cities. Ohio is also a state that borders Canada; which is sharing the World Cup hosting duties with the U.S. and Mexico.

Compared to other potential World Cup hosting cities. Cincinnati has a mostly mild seasonal climate. The Ohio Valley hopefully won’t be grappling with dystopian wildfires or droughts like the west coast. Or the hurricanes and storms that have drenched the east and gulf coasts more severely in recent years. The prospects of those three coastal areas dodging that in the summer of 2026 seem dim. Which could leave FIFA more wary of having matches in San Francisco or Los Angeles due to wildfires. Or Miami, Orlando and even Boston due to hurricane season.

On a more comedic note, the world might be sick of Texas, Florida and California’s antics by 2026. Frequent stories of people behaving idiotically don’t typically start with the phrase “Cincinnati man.” Florida can’t boast that, why would America want to subject the world to more of their wackiness. Even though Cincinnati’s City Council has struggled with recent corruption problems. FIFA is hardly in a position to judge given their own past corruption problems. Cincinnati’s outgoing Mayor John Cranley didn’t face a recall; California Governor Gavin Newsom faced that earlier this year. While Texas is at the center of so many culture wars; they might not have time for FIFA.

Unlike California, Cincinnati isn’t home to big tech companies embroiled in controversy. Procter and Gamble isn’t facing international concerns over their influence in the democratic discourse. Instead, Facebook is facing criticism and whistle blower complaints over those concerns. Cincinnati’s captains of industry aren’t embarking on space adventures. Instead, Cincinnati was previously home to the first man to walk on the moon. Years after the Apollo 11 Moon landing, Neil Armstrong worked as a professor at the University of Cincinnati.

Cincinnati doesn’t generally have a reputation for dysfunction beyond sports. One can’t earnestly say that about the District of Columbia. If they were based anywhere beyond the nation’s capitol. The Washington Football Team would be considered any other region’s most embarrassing enterprise. In the nation’s capitol itself, Congress manages to outpace other contenders in that regard. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Bengals are actually off to a good start without a whiff of scandal. Plus, the fate of Cincinnati’s legislative priorities don’t perpetually hinge on Joe Manchin.

Another serious reason for Cincinnati to host is that we don’t host a lot of international events. To the point that we would risk taking it for granted. For example, Cincinnati hasn’t plunged itself into debt to host the Olympics. This an opportunity to shine a spotlight on one of America’s hidden gems. Instead of just showing off Los Angeles or New York for the umpteenth time. Two cities that produce the lions share of the American entertainment the world consumes.

Cincinnati manages to be an attractive city to the nation and the world. The city’s generally welcoming atmosphere helps make that the case. That welcoming atmosphere extends to soccer too. FC Cincinnati’s meteoric rise into Major League Soccer is fueled by it’s fans. Cincinnatians have embraced the club, setting United Soccer League attendance records in it’s early years. The club’s rise served as a balm for local sports fans. Amid rough stretches in recent years for the Bengals and the Cincinnati Reds.

Despite poor play and management shakeups during their early MLS years. FC Cincinnati is managing to maintain some of the energy that’s fueling it’s rise. Due to the opening of TQL Stadium earlier this year. Along with the potential of bigger things to come. The kind of buzz that fueled FCC is something FIFA should want for soccer in America.