Miami-Dade residents and businesses are stoked about hosting World Cup matches next year and the expected $1.5 billion impact[1] doing so will bring. They’re not so keen on using taxpayer money to make it happen, new polling shows.
The county is set to host seven matches[2] for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Hard Rock Stadium, including four group-stage games, one round of 32 match, a quarterfinal match and a third-place playoff.
Polling by Miami-based Bendixen & Amandi International[3] found 66% of Miami-Dade voters disagree with allocating public dollars to support World Cup matches.
Just 25% are OK with the idea. The remaining 9% said they don’t know enough about the issue or didn’t have enough information to have an opinion.
Last month, County Commissioners approved a budget[4] that maintained a $46 million earmark[5] to facilitate the games, which are projected to draw myriad visitors and attention to the county and surrounding municipalities. More than half will be in-kind spending on police services and paramedic overtime.
Major cities like Miami and Miami Beach are also chipping in[6], albeit for less.
Concerns about safety at the international soccer event are legit. Last year, security and crowd control shortcomings led to chaos, numerous arrests and injuries[7] at the Copa América Final, which was also held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
In that incident’s aftermath, Miami-Dade officials swiftly vowed to elevate security measures ahead of next year’s World Cup. Lawmakers later proposed setting aside state dollars[8] to help in that effort. And in April, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino to discuss security measures.
But after Miami-Dade only managed to close a $400 million funding gap[9] with adjustments that included increased service and utility fees, cuts to safety and environmental oversight and the closure of an immigration-assistance office, pollsters found that county voters think their elected officials shouldn’t be spending their money on an already profitable sports event.
On a somewhat related topic, 56% of Miami-Dade voters said they’ve considered moving away due to cost of living and affordability issues. A United Way Miami report[10] published late last month revealed that 54% of households in the county, the highest rate of any large Florida metropolitan area[11], are employed and make too much to qualify for state assistance, but not enough to avoid living paycheck to paycheck.
Thirty-nine percent of respondents to Bendixen & Amandi’s poll said they have not thought of relocating. Five percent didn’t know or wouldn’t answer the question.
Interest in moving is higher among those who earn less, naturally, but a majority of voters across several income brackets said they have thought positively about getting out. That includes 61% of people who earn under $50,000 a year, 59% in the $50,000 to $100,000 income range, and even 55% of those who earn more than $100,000.
Bendixen & Amandi surveyed 600 registered Miami-Dade voters by phone and online Sept. 30-Oct. 3. Pollsters weighted results to reflect the demographic and political composition of the county’s registered voter population.
The poll had a 4-percentage point margin of error at the 95% confidence level.
Twenty-eight percent of respondents were under 40, while 25% were 65 or older.
References
- ^ $1.5 billion impact (www.nbcmiami.com)
- ^ seven matches (www.fifa.com)
- ^ Bendixen & Amandi International (bendixenandamandi.com)
- ^ approved a budget (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ $46 million earmark (www.axios.com)
- ^ also chipping in (www.axios.com)
- ^ chaos, numerous arrests and injuries (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ setting aside state dollars (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ $400 million funding gap (www.cbsnews.com)
- ^ United Way Miami report (storage.googleapis.com)
- ^ highest rate of any large Florida metropolitan area (www.miamiherald.com)