Womp womp. Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Ohioans who want to see the world's top soccer stars play in person in 2026 will need to plan a road trip.
Driving the news: Cincinnati was not selected as one of 16 North American host sites for the World Cup, FIFA announced yesterday.
Why it matters: Being picked would have offered Ohio the chance to showcase its robust soccer culture and reap the economic benefits of hosting one of the biggest events in sports.
Details: The nearest host cities to Columbus will be Philadelphia and Toronto.
💠Our thought bubble: Cincinnati was probably an underdog in this selection process, being one of the smallest metro areas among the hopefuls.
- Perhaps a more comprehensive public transit system would have helped.
- Cincinnati has bus travel and a downtown light rail loop, but not a major train system like selected cities Dallas, Houston, Seattle and Philadelphia.
Get more local stories in your inbox with Axios Columbus.
More Columbus stories
No stories could be found
Get a free daily digest of the most important news in your backyard with Axios Columbus.