Click here to view all 16 FIFA26 Host City videos

The Assignment:

Create a library of ownable footage for FIFA and their worldwide broadcasters to promote the FIFA 2026 World Cup. Over the span of five months, capture the essence of the culture, people, and fandom, plus a celebrity ambassador, in each of the 16 FIFA26 Host Cities to help audiences fall further in love with the game of soccer. Edit and deliver 16 broadcast rushes (2+ hours in length), 16 Host City montages (:90, + cutdowns), and 16 Celebrity Feature videos. 

The Challenges / The Solutions:

Before we could film the most iconic and culturally important places in all 16 major cities, we needed to build trusting relationships with location owners, governing bodies, permitting entities, and the FAA. Every filming location required a permit and signed location agreement in place, which meant countless hours of meetings with city governments, film offices, museums, National Parks, stadiums, restaurants, etc. This became a constant workflow, often prepping 3-4 cities ahead of schedule. We filmed at an average of 32 locations per city over the span of 4 days. More than 500+ locations total.

In each city, 2 celebrity guests needed their fair share of the limelight - the city’s celebrity ambassador and the FIFA ‘26 Winner’s Trophy. Each required their own creative and logistical preparation, separate sets of stakeholders, and tight security protocols. Our team quickly became well-versed in filming with high-profile, confidential subjects by creating trust and communicating clearly. 

The sheer volume of work required, coupled with tight deadlines, meant that our crew members needed to exude nimbleness and a strong sense of ownership. Upon project award, we spent several weeks interviewing potential candidates to assemble a team of 12 core members who formed our traveling crew. We hired some local crew members in each city as well. 

The Results:

We filmed in the Met before it opened, walked the agave fields of Jose Cuervo, galloped with horses at a Houston ranch, soared over ancient Mexican pyramids in hot air balloons, glided along with the Puyallup tribe’s annual canoe journey through the Puget Sound. We flew drones over Yankee Stadium, inside the Georgia Aquarium, through the legs of soccer players, around the wings of El Angel del Independencia. We got up close and personal with Jon Stewart, danced with Mark Anthony, rode the Toronto Island Ferry with Will Arnett, sat in the back of Killer Mike’s Model T. 

We faithfully serviced our core FIFA Films clients, and facilitated partnerships with 16 Host City teams composed of 52 Sports Commissioners, Government officials, Tourism board members, and the like. I’m incredibly proud of what we created.