RFK Stadium Should Become America's New National Stadium

RFK Stadium is being rebuilt because the NFL is coming back to Washington, D.C.

But we should think bigger than that. Yes, we should think bigger than the NFL.

The World Cup is coming to the United States in 2026. One of the more intriguing subplots was the selection of the city and stadium to host the World Cup Final. It is the one game that is legitimately bigger than the Super Bowl. It happens once every four years. The entire world stops to watch.

But in this country, every single major stadium was built for football or baseball. There is not a single soccer-specific stadium that comes within 50,000 seats of being suitable for a World Cup final.

That’s when the light bulb went off

Washington, D.C should build a National Stadium built for football and soccer, with more emphasis added on the “soccer” part.

When the World Cup goes to other countries, it’s almost immediately understood where the final would be held. If England hosted, it’d be in Wembley. When Brazil hosted, of course the final was in the Maracanã. Whenever the US men’s team goes to Mexico, they play their rivals at Estadio Azteca.

The United States, of course, does not have a national stadium. We have a plethora of incredible stadiums that have stood the test of time dedicated to American football.

When the US soccer teams - men and women – play their games, they visit a wide range of American football stadiums. It works fine. But it could be better.

A true U.S. home stadium

In June 2013, I went to RFK Stadium to watch a friendly between the US men and Germany. RFK Stadium was sold out and packed to the brim. It was an incredible atmosphere, which was actually exceeded by the game itself and an enthralling 4-3 win for the home team. I’ve only been to a few soccer games in my life, but it was #1 by miles and miles.

Part of the reason the atmosphere was so great was the makeup of Washington, D.C. There are a whole bunch of soccer fans in and around this area, and there are also a whole bunch of visitors and residents from other parts of the world. It wasn’t quite a World Cup atmosphere, but it felt bigger than a usual friendly because of the crowd. It was an international crowd. It meant something.

DC is Unique

Washington, D.C. has never been viewed as a sports city, and that’s fine. I don’t agree with the characterization, but there’s little doubt sports will always be the second topic in this city when the Leader of the Free World lives here.

But our worldliness can be a huge plus in rethinking and reimagining what RFK Stadium could be in the future.

Does the world need another NFL-only stadium? Probably not. As much as I will enjoy having the Commanders return to the district, I’d like my tax dollars to go further than that. The Commanders can easily pay for and build their own stadium. If the city is going to get involved, we need something more. We need something bigger.

Imagine RFK Stadium as the nation’s soccer stadium. In addition to a full season of Commanders home games, think about the numerous high-profile soccer games DC could host with a soccer-friendly stadium.

We could host the World Cup final, men or women. How about Gold Cup games? A slew of friendlies for both USMNT and USWNT. A host stadium for club friendlies over the stadium. What about the FIFA Club World Cup? That would make sense too. If Messi came to town to play the DC United, maybe we can move that game to the big stadium as opposed to the arena-sized capacity of Audi Field.

It all makes sense. Washington, D.C. is our nation’s capital. The foreign embassy of every major country is located within our borders. Instead of running away from our role as a global city, we should embrace.

The World Cup will return to the United States after 2026. My hope is that World Cup ends with a trophy presentation in our nation’s capital.

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