Field of Schemes<\/a>. He also co-authored the original book upon which it is based, with Joanna Cagan.<\/p>\nDeMause said Emanuel\u2019s logic aligns with decades of research on mega\u2011events. Hosting, he noted, often brings unpredictable costs, logistical strain on residents and minimal economic return. He said it is a common pattern that has played out across other domestically hosted events such as the Olympics.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to say it\u2019s surprising,\u201d deMause said of Chicago\u2019s decision. \u201cThere have certainly been plenty of cities that have turned down these sorts of mega-events because they feel like the cost would be too high.\u201d<\/p>\n
He pointed to the financial model that comes with hosting modern sports mega\u2011events.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pretty common practice with all of these kinds of events,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you\u2019re going to host the Super Bowl, then the NFL wants some money for that. If you\u2019re going to host the NFL Draft, the NFL wants money for that. The Olympics, obviously, is infamous for requiring billions of dollars in local spending because all additional costs have to be covered by the local city, and there are always additional costs.\u201d<\/p>\n
DeMause said the promised economic benefits rarely materialize for host cities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere isn\u2019t a whole lot of upside as much as FIFA tries to sell it,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s decades of research at this point of people finding that the positive impact of a sports mega\u2011event is really \u2013 it\u2019s not nothing, but it moves the decimal place over one from what the games are.\u201d<\/p>\n
DeMause said the burden often falls on residents who see little direct benefit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are going to gain nothing from it being in New York except for lots of traffic because we can\u2019t afford to go to the games,\u201d he said of his own city. \u201cThere\u2019s like entire days that the New Jersey commuter rail system is going to be closed during rush hour because they have to use all the trains to take people to the World Cup matches.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese events are not for regular people. They\u2019re for people with a lot of money. For everyone else, it\u2019s just a pain.\u201d<\/p>\n
DeMause also noted that FIFA\u2019s negotiating position leaves cities with little wiggle room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of a shame that the U.S., Canada, and Mexico didn\u2019t drive a harder bargain,\u201d he said. \u201cThey could have just tried to say, \u2018Hey, look, be happy with the fact that you\u2019re going to gouge on ticket prices like never before.\u2019 But that sort of negotiation should never happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chicago\u2019s decision reflects the dichotomy between the economics of hosting and fan interest in popular events. Chicago resident and soccer fan Jimmy Milas understands that fragile balance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way I’ve seen other cities handle FIFA and the World Cup, I’m glad to give Chicago a little breathing room,\u201d Milas said.<\/p>\n
Despite electing not to host, the Windy City continues to have a direct impact on the national team and the nation’s soccer culture.<\/p>\n
Former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter\u2019s son, Sebastian Berhalter, is further proof.<\/p>\n
\u201cChicago, I call it home,\u201d said Berhalter, whose dad now coaches the Fire. \u201cIt’s where my family lives. It’s great coming back here. Last time I was here, I made my debut for the national team. So yeah, I’m super excited to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S. will open its official World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 12, and Brady said the magnitude of the event still hasn\u2019t fully hit him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019ll set in in that first game when I hear the national anthem,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Before that moment arrives, the U.S. faces one final test in Chicago against Germany in the last tune\u2011up before the World Cup kicks off. While it\u2019s considered an exhibition on paper, Brady dismissed the idea that the match is a friendly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the furthest thing from a friendly game,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s the last one to prepare for the biggest stage in the world. We\u2019re going to go out there and just look to kill our opponent any way we can with the ball, without the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S. enters the match still sorting out its goalkeeper hierarchy, with Brady competing for the top spot in an experienced group that remains unsettled heading into the tournament.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Brady, the possibility of playing in Chicago, even in a stadium that won\u2019t see further World Cup action, carries an immense weight.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a familiar place,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of pride, a lot of excitement.\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S. won\u2019t be playing a World Cup match here, and Chicago won\u2019t be hosting any others, but the moment still carries weight. And while Chicago may not be present on the tournament schedule, for Brady, Berhalter and the national team, it remains a key part of the story.<\/p>\n
This <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/2026\/06\/05\/chicagos-world-cup-opt-out-in-focus-as-us-hosts-germany-in-final-tune-up\/”>article<\/a> first appeared on <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org”>Cronkite News<\/a> and is republished here under a <a target=”_blank” href=”https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nd\/4.0\/”>Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License<\/a>.<img src=”https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/cronkitenews.azpbs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/favicon1.png?resize=85%2C85&ssl=1″ style=”width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;”><\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tChicago\u2019s World Cup opt\u2011out in focus as US hosts Germany in final tune\u2011up<\/p>\n
Elijah Grayson Murray, Cronkite News
\nJune 5, 2026<\/p>\n
CHICAGO \u2013 Chris Brady didn\u2019t need long to explain what it would mean to play for the U.S. men\u2019s national team when it hosts Germany in a pre-World Cup exhibition match at Soldier Field on Saturday in his hometown.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would be incredible,\u201d the Chicago Fire goalkeeper said. \u201cA lot of pride, a lot of excitement and a lot of energy for me for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brady, 22, grew up in suburban Naperville, came through the Chicago Fire Academy and is now set to represent the United States on home soil in his first World Cup. Unfortunately for Brady, his rise has unfolded in a city that eight years ago declined to host the tournament.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Chicago\u2019s former leadership, what is considered the pinnacle of soccer and the largest sporting event on the globe was deemed a risk not worth taking. That contrast highlights the complicated relationship between the sports mecca of Chicago and the tournament that will help define the future of the world’s game in 2026.<\/p>\n
Chicago withdrew its bid in 2018, with then\u2011mayor Rahm Emanuel framing FIFA\u2019s requirements as financially untenable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe guys from international soccer wanted us to underwrite their sporting event,\u201d Emanuel said in a statement. \u201cI am not going to write a company a blank check that can fleece the taxpayers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matthew McGrath, Emanuel\u2019s spokesman, echoed that stance in a statement, citing \u201cmajor unknowns that put our city and taxpayers at risk\u201d and pointing to FIFA\u2019s \u201cinflexibility and unwillingness to negotiate.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The message Emanuel\u2019s administration portrayed was clear: Becoming a host city presented too much downside for its residents and too little certainty that Chicago would benefit.<\/p>\n
Neil deMause is the creator, founder, and writer of the stadium-watch website \u2060Field of Schemes. He also co-authored the original book upon which it is based, with Joanna Cagan.<\/p>\n
DeMause said Emanuel\u2019s logic aligns with decades of research on mega\u2011events. Hosting, he noted, often brings unpredictable costs, logistical strain on residents and minimal economic return. He said it is a common pattern that has played out across other domestically hosted events such as the Olympics.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to say it\u2019s surprising,\u201d deMause said of Chicago\u2019s decision. \u201cThere have certainly been plenty of cities that have turned down these sorts of mega-events because they feel like the cost would be too high.\u201d<\/p>\n
He pointed to the financial model that comes with hosting modern sports mega\u2011events.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s pretty common practice with all of these kinds of events,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you\u2019re going to host the Super Bowl, then the NFL wants some money for that. If you\u2019re going to host the NFL Draft, the NFL wants money for that. The Olympics, obviously, is infamous for requiring billions of dollars in local spending because all additional costs have to be covered by the local city, and there are always additional costs.\u201d<\/p>\n
DeMause said the promised economic benefits rarely materialize for host cities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere isn\u2019t a whole lot of upside as much as FIFA tries to sell it,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s decades of research at this point of people finding that the positive impact of a sports mega\u2011event is really \u2013 it\u2019s not nothing, but it moves the decimal place over one from what the games are.\u201d<\/p>\n
DeMause said the burden often falls on residents who see little direct benefit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are going to gain nothing from it being in New York except for lots of traffic because we can\u2019t afford to go to the games,\u201d he said of his own city. \u201cThere\u2019s like entire days that the New Jersey commuter rail system is going to be closed during rush hour because they have to use all the trains to take people to the World Cup matches.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese events are not for regular people. They\u2019re for people with a lot of money. For everyone else, it\u2019s just a pain.\u201d<\/p>\n
DeMause also noted that FIFA\u2019s negotiating position leaves cities with little wiggle room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of a shame that the U.S., Canada, and Mexico didn\u2019t drive a harder bargain,\u201d he said. \u201cThey could have just tried to say, \u2018Hey, look, be happy with the fact that you\u2019re going to gouge on ticket prices like never before.\u2019 But that sort of negotiation should never happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chicago\u2019s decision reflects the dichotomy between the economics of hosting and fan interest in popular events. Chicago resident and soccer fan Jimmy Milas understands that fragile balance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way I’ve seen other cities handle FIFA and the World Cup, I’m glad to give Chicago a little breathing room,\u201d Milas said.<\/p>\n
Despite electing not to host, the Windy City continues to have a direct impact on the national team and the nation’s soccer culture.<\/p>\n
Former USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter\u2019s son, Sebastian Berhalter, is further proof.<\/p>\n
\u201cChicago, I call it home,\u201d said Berhalter, whose dad now coaches the Fire. \u201cIt’s where my family lives. It’s great coming back here. Last time I was here, I made my debut for the national team. So yeah, I’m super excited to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S. will open its official World Cup campaign against Paraguay on June 12, and Brady said the magnitude of the event still hasn\u2019t fully hit him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019ll set in in that first game when I hear the national anthem,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Before that moment arrives, the U.S. faces one final test in Chicago against Germany in the last tune\u2011up before the World Cup kicks off. While it\u2019s considered an exhibition on paper, Brady dismissed the idea that the match is a friendly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the furthest thing from a friendly game,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s the last one to prepare for the biggest stage in the world. We\u2019re going to go out there and just look to kill our opponent any way we can with the ball, without the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S. enters the match still sorting out its goalkeeper hierarchy, with Brady competing for the top spot in an experienced group that remains unsettled heading into the tournament.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For Brady, the possibility of playing in Chicago, even in a stadium that won\u2019t see further World Cup action, carries an immense weight.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a familiar place,\u201d he said. \u201cA lot of pride, a lot of excitement.\u201d<\/p>\n
The U.S. won\u2019t be playing a World Cup match here, and Chicago won\u2019t be hosting any others, but the moment still carries weight. And while Chicago may not be present on the tournament schedule, for Brady, Berhalter and the national team, it remains a key part of the story.<\/p>\n
This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.<\/p>\n
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