Miami, or when an F1 paddock hosts the Football World Cup!

While the whole world is captivated by the 23rd FIFA World Cup, one stadium is well known to Formula 1 fans...

Organized jointly by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the FIFA World Cup, which began on June 11 and will end on July 19, is being held in two Canadian cities, three Mexican cities, and eleven American cities. Miami will host seven matches, including the third-place match, which will be played on Saturday, July 18.

While, like most American stadiums, it is best known as the home of the Miami Dolphins in the NFL (National Football League), it is also the nerve center of the Miami Grand Prix. Formula 1contested in the Miami Gardens area, north of the Florida city, since 2022.

Indeed, the 5,412 km circuit winds around Hard Rock Stadium, utilizing several parking lots and access roads around the stadium. The main link between Formula 1 and football lies in the fact that the Miami Grand Prix paddock is located within the stadium, on the very pitch where the World Cup matches are currently being played. Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay kicked things off on June 15 (a 1-1 draw), before the three other scheduled group stage matches. Uruguay vs. Cape Verde, Brazil vs. Scotland, and Portugal vs. Colombia will all take place at Hard Rock Stadium, along with a Round of 32 match, a quarter-final, and the third-place match of the 2026 World Cup.

This is not the first time that Formula 1 has been involved with another international sporting event, as the road cycling events of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games finished at the Fuji Speedway, the previous host of the Japanese Grand Prix, and some of the events of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games were held at the site of the Jacarepagua circuit, which hosted the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix in the 1980s.

ALSO READ > Formula 1 claims to have reduced its carbon footprint by 35% since 2018