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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher/Writer
Las Vegas sure gets a lot of pub about all the big-time sports events it hosts — from major boxing matches, UFC fight shows and NASCAR races to the NBA Summer League, a Formula One grand prix race on the Strip and Super Bowl 58 at Allegiant Stadium in 2024.
But what about one of the world’s biggest sports events that could not be accommodated because of a design issue at Allegiant Stadium?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be staged in North America in 16 cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Las Vegas will not be among those 16 cities because the Allegiant Stadium playing field that sits on a tray in the venue is not wide enough to accommodate the World Cup soccer games, said Steve Hill, the Las Vegas stadium board chairman and chief of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).
Hill told LVSportsBiz.com Friday that the stadium considered taking out stands and growing grass on the sides to create more space outside of the stadium retractable tray, which holds the playing field. Hill mentioned it would have taken nine months to grow the grass.
But in the end, widening the field with more space outside the field tray could not be done and the World Cup will not be hosted in Las Vegas.
Hill mentioned there have been a few international soccer games played inside Allegiant Stadium with little space on the sides of the field tray, but the World Cup requires more space.
The domed stadium hosts the UNLV vs Air Force football game at 7:30PM Saturday.