What was the first ticket event at Lincoln Financial Field?

Believe it or not, this was not an Eagles game.

Lincoln Financial Field first opened its doors to the public on August 3, 2003 for fans who witnessed the international football battle between Manchester United and FC Barcelona.

It is only appropriate that the main football tournament – and one of the biggest events in all sports – take place at Lincoln Financial Field when the 2026 World Cup returns to North America. On Thursday, FIFA named Philadelphia one of 16 host cities worldwide. USA, Canada and Mexico. This is the first time that World Cup matches will be held on American soil since 1994.

“We are thrilled that Philadelphia has been selected to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Twenty years ago, when Lincoln Financial Field first opened, we envisioned a world-class venue in a world-class city hosting the World Cup. Events. “We have hosted some of the most prestigious football clubs in the world at our stadium. We are now proud to host the highest level of competition in front of a global audience. President and CEO Jeffrey Lurie.

“On behalf of the Philadelphia Eagles, we would like to thank the FIFA delegation for showing us this extraordinary honor and recognizing our city and Lincoln Financial Field as top football destinations. We are incredibly proud of the work done by so many people to make this a reality. Philadelphia Soccer 2026 – chaired by Dan Hilferty and backed by his esteemed Honorary Co-Chairs Commission – deserves a huge thank you, as well as a special thank you to David L. Cohen, who led this offer before becoming US Ambassador to Canada. to acknowledge and thank the passionate football fans across the region of the three countries.Their enthusiasm and genuine love for the game was fully demonstrated during the bidding process and played a key role in attracting the biggest World Cup in history to Philadelphia.It was a truly joint effort of the entire Greater Philadelphia community.

“The city of Philadelphia, as the birthplace of our country’s independence, is deeply rooted in culture, tradition and history. As we approach America’s 250th anniversary in the summer of 2026, we look forward to celebrating special occasions and the great sport of football at Lincoln Financial Field.” .

For CFO Frank Gumienny, the World Cup is the latest example of how the Eagles have fulfilled a promise to the city of Philadelphia that Lincoln Financial Field will attract a number of events. Since its opening, Lincoln Financial Field has hosted three NFC Championship games, nearly 40 concerts, an Army-Navy classic and several other high-profile international football matches, including the Women’s World Cup, the CONCACAF Gold Cup final and the Copa America.

Cooperation with the city of Philadelphia was strengthened in 2019. In March 2020, Gumienny was part of a committee that was to go to Dallas to present FIFA on behalf of the city. Of course, like everything else, the meetings took place, so to speak, because of the pandemic.

Finally, the city laid the red carpet last September and welcomed the FIFA delegation on a personal tour of Lincoln Financial Field. Eagles office staff and local dignitaries provided a day-like entrance to offer a small taste of the electric atmosphere that awaits football fans in 2016.

Gumienny and Senior Vice President of Operations Jason Miller toured the stadium with Victor Montagliani, President of CONCACAF, and Colin Smith, FIFA Director General for Tournaments and Events. Gumienny at the time believed that the arrival of the World Cup in Philadelphia after an open and fair dialogue with Montagliani and Smith was a realistic possibility.

“We are proud of the stadium. We are proud of the city and we wanted to show FIFA first hand. We wanted to express what it would mean to host the World Cup in Philadelphia,” he said.