What being a potential World Cup training site means for South Philly’s FDR Park

The eyes of the world will turn to South Philadelphia when the city hosts the men’s World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field in 2026, but what that means for its neighboring FDR Park remains unknown.

The sprawling, 348 acres of meadows, lakes, marsh, and trails slated for renovation is one of several potential training sites the city pitched to FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, in its bid to host the World Cup. But any final decision could take more than a year to be announced, a city spokesperson said.

“Working closely with FIFA, the next 12 to 18 months will focus on a wide variety of planning efforts with updates provided accordingly,” the spokesperson said.

FIFA’s process comes as the city is undertaking its own $250 million transformation of FDR Park. Some, including youth sports league coaches, welcome the potential for state-of-the-art athletic fields. But environmentalists and other community groups have concerns about the development of a beloved green space — the largest swath of public land in South Philadelphia.

FDR Park was one of several potential locations the city pitched for training sites in its World Cup hosting bid. The other suggested sites are the Eagles’ nearby NovaCare Complex athletic facility, the Philadelphia Union’s Subaru Park in Chester, the University of Pennsylvania, and Drexel and Temple Universities.

If FIFA selects FDR as a training site, the construction of training fields will coincide with the city’s ambitious “master plan” for the park, which proposes 12 multipurpose athletic fields, six baseball and softball fields, eight basketball courts, 10 tennis courts, multiple playgrounds, 15 acres of “Great Lawn,” 40 acres of wetlands, restrooms, picnic areas, concessions, and a permanent home for the Southeast Asian Market at a location to be decided with the FDR Park Vendors Association. (The city has stressed that FIFA will not interfere with its current plan for the park.)

» READ MORE: Philly’s plan to build soccer fields and a driving range in FDR Park is sparking opposition

If FDR is picked by FIFA, two of those 12 multipurpose fields will be upgraded from synthetic turf to international soccer standards and feature natural grass, which involves “grading, irrigation, and planting suitable ground cover,” the city spokesperson said. A locker room and meeting space would also be constructed for FIFA’s use in 2026 and could later be repurposed for use by coaches and leagues, the city has said.

Philadelphia is one of 16 cities selected to host the 2026 World Cup tournament, which will see 48 teams and 80 games across North America.

The monthlong tournament is expected to take place in June and July 2026, but specific dates as well as the number of matches Philadelphia may host have not been determined, the spokesperson said.

» READ MORE: Philadelphia will host 2026 men’s World Cup games, bringing a global sports spectacle to America’s birthplace

According to the city spokesperson, the city’s current FDR Park plan is funded “through a mix of local, state, and philanthropic funds.” To date, the Fairmount Park Conservancy and Parks and Recreation Department have raised $90.2 million through a combination of public and private funds, the spokesperson said.

If selected for World Cup training, one or two of the fields could be supported by fund-raising and investments from the bid committee, the spokesperson said.

For Anthony Meadows, president of the South Philly Sigma Sharks youth football organization, the new fields mean an “opportunity for stability” for his teams. Meadows said his nine travel football teams have bounced from field to field due to unsafe conditions or construction, and often struggle to compete for space.

Potential access to locker rooms because of World Cup renovations and a designated home field, Meadows said, would be a “definite upgrade” and help to put his teams on par with the facilities they use when they travel for games.

“If the city shows that there’s an investment in the youth, and giving people an avenue to have other opportunities to do things first class, this would be great,” Meadows said.

» READ MORE: New football field and track coming to West Fairmount Park will create a home for youth teams, but partially displace others

Amos Huron, executive director of the Anderson Monarchs youth soccer league, echoed Meadows’ enthusiasm for designated practice and game space, and added that he thought a central location where multiple teams could practice at once may “build bridges in a city that’s very divided, and create a place where everyone feels like it belongs to them.”

Not everyone is on board with plans for change at FDR Park — for the World Cup or otherwise.

In June, 16 community organizations penned a letter to Mayor Jim Kenney, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell, and members of City Council, calling for a “People’s Plan for FDR Park” — asking the city for more transparency around its gathering of community input, to preserve more green space, and to establish the Southeast Asian Market as an official part of the plan.

David Masur, president of the environmental advocacy group PennEnvironment — one of the groups that signed the letter — expressed concerns over the accessibility of the fields to the general public and their environmental impact.

» READ MORE: Philly’s plan to build soccer fields and a driving range in FDR Park is sparking opposition

Masur, a South Philadelphia resident, has long opposed the proposal of athletic fields over a former golf course-turned-wildlife trail known as “the Meadows.” The wetland area is home to an array of species and a resting ground for migratory birds, Masur said.

The city contests that the site consists of “poor-quality vegetation, is overrun by invasive species, and regularly floods.” The FDR Park plan, the city has said, was developed with input from environmental engineers, hydrology experts, and preservationists to create a sustainable design and address the frequent flooding.

“The reality is just because you have invasive species and marshy conditions, it’s not an excuse to bulldoze and bury nature and replace it with roads, parking lots, synthetic … fields,” Masur said.

“I think they could come up with more space, you know, and a plan to do both,” he said. “How do you have athletic spaces for the community without having to destroy this great outdoor space at the same time?”