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Rhode Island is ramping up its efforts for next year’s World Cup.
State leaders have officially created Ocean State 2026, the nonprofit that will be responsible for fundraising and leading the state’s economic development plans around the world’s largest soccer tournament.
We already knew that former Rhode Island Commerce secretary Liz Tanner would lead Ocean State 2026, but the organization lists state Treasurer James Diossa, Rhode Island Convention Center Authority Chairman Ernie Almonte, and Elizabeth Winangun, a top aide to Governor Dan McKee as its directors.
Attorney Thomas Carlotto filed the incorporation paperwork for the nonprofit.
While Rhode Island won’t host soccer matches as part of the World Cup, the state still believes it will see a flood of tourism because matches will be played at Gillette Stadium. Diossa, who won a state soccer championship at Central Falls High School, has said the tournament could generate more than $50 million in economic activity for the state.
The team at Ocean State 2026 will be heavily focused on securing sponsorships, but it will also work with state tourism leaders on marketing, offering a top-notch visitor experience, and creating a legacy for soccer in Rhode Island that will carry on long after the World Cup.
Kristen Adamo, president and CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, said she has hired Mary K. Talbot as director of special projects for the Rhode Island Sports Commission to focus specifically on the World Cup.
One major unanswered question is how Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket will be activated for the World Cup. It’s unlikely that exhibition matches will be played in Rhode Island because it’s an artificial turf field, but it’s still considered a major asset for the state.
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The Globe in Rhode Island
⚓ For Catholics in the Ocean State, the divine feels a bit closer to home these days after Pope Leo XIV declared the first miracle recognized during his young papacy as having happened in a Pawtucket hospital in 2007. Read more.
⚓ Twenty states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration to stop it from restricting access to health, education, and social service programs based on immigration status. Read more.
⚓ David Robertson, a Barrington resident and 16-year major leaguer, received a “great pitch” from the Red Sox over the weekend, he said, but opted to rejoin the Phillies instead. Read more.
⚓ In an opinion piece for Globe Rhode Island, Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies from the Economic Progress Institute outlines a plan for addressing coming cuts in federal aid. Read more.
You can check out all of our coverage at Globe.com/RI
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🎷 Contest:Globe Rhode Island is partnering with the Newport Jazz Festival to give away four tickets to this year's festival at Fort Adams. You can find more information about the contest and enter to win here.
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