NASHVILLE – Five esteemed Nashville business leaders would direct Nashville’s Local Organizing Committee if Music City is named a host city for FIFA World Cup 2026, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp announced today.
John Ingram, Owner of the Nashville Soccer Club, would serve as chairman of the Local Organizing Committee. He is Chairman of the Board, Ingram Industries Inc., and Chairman, Ingram Content Group LLC.
Co-chairs of the Local Organizing Committee would include:
- Ian Ayre, Chief Executive, Nashville Soccer Club, who will chair Training Sites and International Relations/Logistics
- Burke Nihill, President and CEO, Tennessee Titans, who will chair the Stadium committee
- Colin Reed, Chairman and CEO, Ryman Hospitality Properties, who will oversee Fundraising
- Butch Spyridon, President and CEO, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, who will chair the Host City committee
Officials from FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, will visit Nashville on Thursday, Sept. 16 as it assesses Music City as a potential host site for FIFA World Cup 2026. Top representatives from FIFA and CONCACAF will take part in a press conference at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday at Nissan Stadium. They will also look at training facilities, including fields at Lipscomb University, Lipscomb Academy, Vanderbilt University, Trevecca Nazarene University, Nashville SC Stadium, and Currey Ingram Academy.
Nashville is an official Candidate Host City in the United Bid of Canada, Mexico and the United States for the 2026 games. The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp submitted the bid on behalf of the city. There are 17 candidate U.S. cities, and an announcement about cities selected to host World Cap matches is expected as early as first quarter 2022.
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The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp
The mission of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp is to maximize the economic contribution of the convention and tourism industry to the community by developing and marketing Nashville as a premier destination. Visit the NCVC’s website at www.visitmusiccity.com and follow us on social media:
