On the heels of the 2026 World Cup announcement, Alejandro Bedoya chats the international sport and the importance of the event in our city.
Alejandro Bedoya, captain and midfielder of the Philadelphia Union
“They call soccer the beautiful game,” says Alejandro Bedoya, captain and midfielder of the Philadelphia Union. “It’s the most popular sport across the world.” And now, it’s about to become even more, thanks to the FIFA World Cup 2026 bid (fifa.com; phlworldcup.discoverphl.com) that announced Philadelphia as one of the host cities—just in time for America’s 250th anniversary. “It’s going to be a truly historic moment for the whole city and for a greater Philadelphia,” Bedoya, who’s also been named honorary co-chair of the bid, says. Of note, the 2026 tournament will also mark the first time that FIFA expands the teams from 32 to 48, including more countries and talent. He adds, “This is truly a once-in-a-generation opportunity— for Philadelphia, for this whole city and for the folks to really shine on the world stage, and really to give outsiders a unique look at what Philly can be all about.” For Bedoya, this won’t be his first go-around. Throughout his career, he’s played in about 66 international matches on the United States national team, was on the team of the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, and also played in all four of the U.S. matches at the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil. Coincidentally enough, however, his passion for the sport started in Englewood, N.J., before heading to his international fame. His father, who is from Colombia, was a soccer player and taught him the sport. After moving to Florida when he was 8, Bedoya completely fell in love with soccer— eventually leading him to a full-ride scholarship to play at Boston College. “The rest is history,” he says. He was quickly recruited to Sweden, which gave him a leap into European soccer leagues, where he played for nine years. But then in 2015, his son, Santino, was born, and Bedoya decided to return to the U.S. “I thought it was just a good spot for me to land in,” he says of the Philadelphia Union team. Since then, he’s watched as the world sport has continued to grow in popularity across the United States—and he knows that hosting the World Cup will only enhance it more. “It’s going to be an unrivaled experience for all Philadelphians,” Bedoya says. Leading up to the event, fans can expect an abundance of activities that will only emphasize the city’s hype to be a part of the event, which will take place at none other than Lincoln Financial Field. He concludes, “What better place to host a FIFA World Cup match than the birthplace of our country? There’s so much history here.”
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