Baltimore-Maryland’s 2026 World Cup Host City bid has today revealed its new brand identity and logo as its bid to host FIFA 2026 World Cup matches continues to build momentum.

Reflecting Baltimore-Maryland's diverse communities and with close connections to the history of the city itself, the new brand identity embodies key aspects of the bid’s commitment to prioritizing diversity and inclusion and representing individuals from across the city and state.

The new branding and logo include references to the iconic "colors of Baltimore", depicted in the "Painted Ladies" row homes of Northern Baltimore City, which have become synonymous with the vibrant neighborhoods of Baltimore-Maryland.

Featuring local iconography, including the "Hon Playing Soccer", Pink Flamingo and Blue-Green Crab, the Baltimore-Maryland 2026 branding symbolizes the bid’s deep connections to the local culture:

• "Hon Playing Soccer"

Depicting a woman with a beehive hairstyle, the Baltimore “Hon'' pays tribute to the women of Baltimore’s working-class communities in the 1950s and 1960s and represents the people of Baltimore-Maryland’s originality and creativity.

"Hon'' is a person, a quintessential term of endearment in Baltimore’s regional dialect and the inspiration for the local arts and cultural festival, “Hon Fest''. The festival takes place in the city’s Hampden community and is widely accepted as one of the most welcoming and accepting places for the LGBTQ+ community in the U.S.

• Pink Flamingo

Deeply connected to Greater Baltimore’s artistic community and Baltimore Club Music, the Pink Flamingo can be found everywhere from neighborhood front yards to huge statues across the city. As the community has transformed from a manufacturing and shipping port to a hub for the next generation of artists and creatives, the Pink Flamingo has remained a constant icon of the local area.

• Blue-Green Crab

Blue Crab is a staple of Maryland, and represents the state’s hospitality and culinary community, as well as its natural resources, harbor, waterways, and efforts towards sustainability and minimizing environmental impact.  

Local Baltimore advertising agency, TBC, designed the new brand aligning with Baltimore-Maryland 2026's commitment to showcasing local businesses at the heart of the bid and using FIFA 2026 World Cup matches to transform and regenerate the city and state.

Terrance Hasseltine, President of Baltimore-Maryland 2026 and Executive Director of Maryland Sports Commission, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be launching our new brand identity and logo for Baltimore-Maryland 2026. Representing every aspect of our diverse local communities is hugely important for us, especially as hosting matches at the FIFA 2026 World Cup would create a tremendous positive impact for both our city and state.

“TBC is a valued partner who has helped us capture Baltimore-Maryland's unique and treasured history and distinct visual identity, and we are embracing this and incorporating it into every aspect of our bid. Baltimore’s “Hons”, Pink Flamingos and Blue-Green Crab are synonymous with our communities and we’re ready to welcome the world with our famed hospitality.”

Bill Ward, Executive Vice President, TBC, said: “As a Day One supporter of Baltimore-Maryland 2026 and a proud local business, it is a privilege to have worked with the BMD 2026 team on the bid’s brand identity and logo update, which uniquely reflects our city’s vibrant and inclusive culture. Incorporating the Baltimore Colors and unique icons, the new branding brings to life the bid’s vision of creating a real, tangible human legacy for our local communities.

“TBC has been part of the Baltimore-Maryland 2026 journey from the start and to be helping to bring the FIFA 2026 World Cup to our city and state for the very first time is a huge opportunity.”

[Source: Baltimore-Maryland 2026 World Cup Host Destination Delegation]

An Infrastructure Workshop with FIFA and the U.S. Soccer 2026 FIFA World Cup Host City selection delegation gave the Baltimore-Maryland 2026 Bid Committee an opportunity to showcase hosting plans it describes as “transformative”.

“It was a very positive infrastructure workshop and we’re delighted with the way our campaign is progressing,” said Terrance Hasseltine, President of Baltimore-Maryland 2026 and Executive Director of Maryland Sports Commission. “We were thrilled to present our world-class M&T Bank Stadium and our transformative and compact hosting plans. We are also incredibly proud that our proposed concept offers an unbeatable tournament experience for visiting teams, fans and officials from across the world.

“As a new domestic market for the FIFA World Cup, Baltimore-Maryland is an opportunity for FIFA and U.S. Soccer to capture the attention of more fans and accelerate the overall development of football in the U.S. FIFA World Cup 2026 in Baltimore will provide a great social and economic boost, inspire a new generation of football lovers and create a tangible legacy for all.”

The bid team highlight the stadium’s downtown location, with more than 10,000 hotel rooms within walking distance, and 10-mile proximity to the BWI Marshall International Airport.

The 71,000-capacity venue also benefits from USD $140 million of recent upgrades. The country’s first LEED Gold rated outdoor professional stadium, it equipped with 28,000 sq ft of 4K Ultra HD boards and displays and meets FIFA’s natural grass turf requirements.

Hosting the FIFA World Cup 2026 would accelerate Baltimore-Maryland’s urban development plans, which the bid team say are approved and supported by all levels of city and state government. Baltimore-Maryland plans to boost sporting and recreational activity with more green spaces, sporting facilities and football development initiatives.

“Maryland is united behind our bid to bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup to Baltimore. We are fully committed to Baltimore as a great Host City that offers not only quality venues for competition, but a rich history and love of sport that brings people together,” said Maryland Lt. Governor, Boyd Rutherford.

“Baltimore’s diverse communities, public institutions, and business communities are working hand-in-hand and looking forward to providing teams and fans from all over the world with the best FIFA World Cup experience possible. We appreciate the helpful insights provided by FIFA and U.S. Soccer during today’s workshop.”

Baltimore-Maryland's bid to host 2026 FIFA World Cup matches has launched a new ‘International Football Development 2026’ (IFD26) initiative as part of its commitment to creating strong local and international football legacies.

As part of the campaign, Baltimore-Maryland 2026 is partnering with regions across the world to offer support where sports development resources may be limited. The launch of the initiative is accompanied with the announcement of the initiative’s first partner, West-African Benin.

“We’re very excited to be part of the IFD26 family and to be forging a close relationship with the Baltimore-Maryland 2026 team. We are looking forward to working alongside Baltimore 2026 as the first region to develop, not only our domestic football landscape, but also close economic and cultural ties with the city. For us this a natural alignment because it is evident we share similar values,” said Benin’s Minister of Sports, Mr. Oswald Homeky.

“As a diverse and welcoming city, Baltimore-Maryland would offer FIFA a unique and unrivalled opportunity if chosen as host of 2026 FIFA World Cup matches. The bid’s proven commitment to creating enduring legacies is testament to its central vision of welcoming the world to enjoy the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”

IFD26 will see Benin and Baltimore-Maryland 2026 collaborate and share knowledge, building on the West African country’s passion for football and developing its women’s and youth programs to empower all areas of the game. Capability-building lies at the heart of the IFD26 initiative, and the partnership will grow Benin’s domestic football industry, creating employment pathways, education, skills and job opportunities.

“Baltimore-Maryland 2026 is committed to expanding the global horizons of football and delivering impactful programs that deliver a strong football legacy for local and world football and FIFA,” said Terrance Hasseltine, President of Baltimore-Maryland 2026 and Executive Director of Maryland Sports Commission.

“Baltimore-Maryland 2026 has been described as underdogs in this race and that simply pushes us on to deliver a dynamic bid that shows our diverse city is ready to welcome the football family. IFD26 will be a central focus for our bid, and we are looking forward to supporting fellow ‘underdogs’ and their football development.”

Aligning with Baltimore-Maryland 2026’s vision of expanding football’s audience locally and internationally, IFD26 will enable the bid to engage new global audiences with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and grow the game in new markets.

“Expanding the horizons of football is a core commitment of our bid to host 2026 FIFA World Cup matches and the IFD26 initiative will support football’s long-term development in Baltimore-Maryland and across the world. Partnering with Benin is a fantastic opportunity for our shared passion for football to grow and to deliver tangible legacy initiatives for current and future players to benefit from,” said Olubunmi Jinadu, Senior Advisor to and Member of the Baltimore Maryland 2026 FIFA World Cup Host Committee.

“Baltimore-Maryland 2026 promises to be a platform for growing football in new markets and engaging new audiences locally and internationally and IFD26 is a key part of this.”

According to the announcement accompanying the launch, Baltimore-Maryland’s bid to host 2026 FIFA World Cup matches offers “a unique and unrivalled opportunity to build one of the most welcoming, diverse and inclusive host cities in World Cup history. As an easy to navigate city ready to accommodate football, Baltimore-Maryland 2026 will promote sustainable practices and human rights and provide a catalyst for positive change through football.”