The FIFA World Cup 2026 arrived in the Bay Area during an already exciting summer for SCORES as we celebrate 25 years of programming. The incredible community that we’ve built over that time has helped open doors for our Poet-Athletes to step onto the global stage alongside soccer’s brightest stars.

Our Soccer Legacy Gala in May set the tone for the season. The evening honored the 1994 U.S. Men’s National Team, the legacy they ignited, and 25 years of transforming that legacy into free soccer and poetry programming for nearly 7,000 Bay Area youth each year. The night was brought to life by a powerful performance from Watsonville Poet-Athlete Santiago, national winner of the Atletas Poetas contest hosted in partnership with Telemundo and NBCUniversal Local.

As the Bay Area partner of Airbnb’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Host City Impact Program, we helped bring the beautiful game to even more young people in San Francisco with the opening of a new mini-pitch at Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy.

Through the Quaker Player Escort Program, hosted in partnership with Common Goal, 27 students from Oakland, Watsonville, and San Rafael had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of walking onto the field alongside players before three Bay Area matches: Qatar vs. Switzerland (June 13), Austria vs. Jordan (June 16), and Paraguay vs. Australia (June 25). Even more Poet-Athletes and coaches had opportunities to attend games through the Bay Area Host Committee and Telemundo.

As we continue to ride this incredible wave of World Cup momentum, we’re filled with gratitude for the community that makes it all possible. Together, we’re carrying forward the beautiful game’s spirit of unity, access, and belonging.

Media Highlights

SCORES is in the news! Click on the images below to see media highlights of our Poet-Athletes
and their FIFA World Cup 2026™ experiences.