“We are more LGF than LFG.”
Welcome to “Bay Area Style.” The kid at the front of the class sticks his hand out for every question, grinning at the existing knowledge that there is a correct answer. A boy who annoyingly, naturally and seamlessly excels at everything in life, from Shakespeare to Shanahan.
He’s a leader on the playground, instigating the next haircut trend, eliciting laughs with every joke, and his name brings a special vibrancy around the school thanks to its rich family history (his older brother sat in the back of the bus).
LGF. “Let’s go first,” explains Zaileen Janmohamed, chairman and CEO of the Bay Area Host Committee.
The San Francisco Bay Area is that kid from 2026 who steps up to the task of hosting both the Super Bowl and the World Cup in the same year, while the rest of the class shares wide-eyed admiration. Some argue that both LGF and LFG are valid, such as “Let’s fu…” You know the rest. But it is. let’s. go.
Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, California (Credit: Visit California)
“At Bay there is a mentality of being first,” Janmohamed told Sky Sports. “I don’t think anyone backs down from a challenge or a problem.In fact, I think they like seeing it.
“If someone comes to you with a problem and you’re at bay, there’s a mindset here of, ‘Let’s write it on the whiteboard and solve it, let’s just give it a go.’
“Nobody’s done the World Cup and the Super Bowl. I don’t think there were many volunteers to do both this year. We were like, this is us, we can figure this out, let’s go first.”
A historic year for Bay Area sports officially begins this week, with the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks facing off in Super Bowl 60 on Sunday, February 8 at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers. It will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
The same stage in Santa Clara will host six matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup from June 11 to July 29.
Janmohamed and The Bay are at the table in a strong collaboration between the richest and most influential governing bodies in sports, with FIFA president Gianni Infantino clearly keen to reflect the trademark American flamboyance and San Francisco happy to oblige as chief executor of that vision.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Phoebe Schechter explains everything you need to know about Super Bowl I
“It’s really interesting to see that FIFA, which is hosting a tournament of this size for the first time with 104 games and 16 cities, is really trying to learn about the passion for American football, especially in the United States,” said Janmohamed.
“You’ll often hear the president (Infantino) say, ‘We’ve had 104 Super Bowls.’ He sees the Super Bowl and the NFL as something we want to recreate.
“He announced there would be a halftime show in the middle of the finals. That’s the Super Bowl. You can definitely see the learnings from FIFA being transferred to the NFL.”
Roger Goodell and the NFL are similarly drawing inspiration from FIFA’s global fame in the form of international expansion, with Paris joining Madrid, London, Munich, Melbourne and Rio de Janeiro as host cities for the 2026 season. America’s game has become the world’s game.
“On the flip side, I think what we’re starting to see from the NFL, and they’ve been doing this for a few years now, is the power of the international game,” Janmohamed continued. “They look at organizations like FIFA and say, ‘How do we actually resonate in so many countries around the world? How do we do it so well?'”
“They play in a football stadium. I get goosebumps when I see them playing in Madrid, where Real Madrid plays. It’s amazing to me. I think there’s really good learning for both. You have American football and football and fans of both, and they may or may not overlap. It’s really interesting to see all of that happen.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
London-born Aden Daade reflects on his journey as he prepares to make history as the first British-born coordinator to coach in the Super Bowl, when the Seattle Seahawks take on the New England Patriots.
While taking a taxi to meet Janmohamed at Levi’s Stadium, he is introduced to the driver, Taha. Taha recalled fleeing Afghanistan as a child before growing up as a soccer player at the San Jose Earthquakes Academy. He said hosting the World Cup in California was a “game changer” for soccer’s long-term rise in the United States, and though he regretted the sport’s modest profile in his youth, he welcomed what he hopes will be a decisive catalytic effect.
San Francisco claims countless stories like Taja, a beacon of cultural diversity championing a city that boasts a rich menu of backgrounds, from Chinatown to the largest Japanese town of only three in the United States. It is a city open to all and everyone.
“In the most basic sense, in its essence, that’s what makes the Bay Area unique,” Janmohamed said. “It’s a beautiful place. There’s beauty like you’ve never seen before, great food and wine. It’s a great place to visit because there’s so much you can access and see and do every day, but I really think what makes it truly unique is the people of the Bay and the diversity of the Bay.”
Come Sunday, Bey will proudly celebrate the West Coast’s vast Latino community when Bad Bunny, who has publicly criticized President Donald Trump and his administration’s immigration policies, headlines the Super Bowl halftime show in the latest in the NFL’s efforts to cater to a global audience.
“I think the NFL wants to make sure it reaches people who might not otherwise have access to the sport,” Janmohamed said.
“The NFL does a really great job of not just focusing on what you see on the field in the fourth quarter of the game. When you come to the Super Bowl, they liven up the game with food and music. They do that really well, so when you combine music with sports, you’re going to bring in people who might not have otherwise watched the game or attended the game.
“That choice is very purposeful and intentional to make sure it’s broad-based in terms of who’s included and who’s affected and who can participate. I think that was intentional. I think that’s a positive thing for us in the diversity that we promote as a region, and it’s going to be a really great show.”
San Francisco Mission District mural (Credit: Visit California)
The Super Bowl is returning to Santa Clara for the first time in 10 years since the Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers at Levi’s Stadium in the NFL’s marquee finale.
Janmohamed remembers the same teasing cauldron of noise as Colombia visited the city for the Copa America not too long ago, as the eyes of the world were once again on San Francisco.
“When I entered the stadium, the World Cup still felt really far away, but I remember when I went outside the noise was so loud,” she said. “I think what people don’t understand about the World Cup is that there’s a fandom from people that you don’t see in other sports.
“They’re going to arrive in droves, banging drums, face painting. They’re really passionate about their team, sometimes generations. That passion can’t really be found in other sports. So I think it’s going to be loud, vibrant, colorful, and give you goosebumps.”
At the same time, Levi’s Stadium shines as a central amphitheater that amplifies everything the Bay Area stands for. The same was evidenced at the Impact Awards ceremony, where 10,000 Degrees, a charity that helps children in poverty secure college opportunities, was honored and Fatima Amen-Ra A, founder and CEO of the Women’s Premier Basketball Association, was recognized as a pioneer for women in professional basketball.
“When it comes to the Super Bowl, I think it’s an American sport, right? When the Super Bowl comes around, it’s always a spectacle,” Janmohamed said. “We already have a very engaging halftime show. But I think what I’m most excited about outside of the game at the stadium is that the NFL has gotten really good at showcasing and profiling local markets at the game itself.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of Super Bowl 49 between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks in 2015
Janmohamed estimates the overall economic impact of hosting the Super Bowl and World Cup in the Bay Area, including last February’s NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center, is $1.3 billion. The Super Bowl and World Cup are also expected to bring 500,000 tourists to the Bay and generate 400,000 hotel room sales.
“The challenge is literally just volume,” Janmohamed explained. “There are two big international events in the market, organized by the NFL and FIFA governing bodies, and they are not used to having another event in the market three months or so apart, so they have to balance their time and give each one their full attention.
“We also have a really great opportunity. We can talk about two events in the same year. We can have an extended period of time where people can come to the Bay and really experience who we are.
“They’re not just here for Super Bowl weekend. They might be here for two weeks of the tournament as well. The opportunity is the efficiency of the event, the impact from both events, being able to have a legacy program that can span both. Bridge to When you first put people to work in the Work program, they can work in both events. When you build the field, you can have kids play there in both events. It just expands that time frame and footprint and allows you to do more over a longer period of time. ”
Super Bowl LX will be held this Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in California.
This year looms as a defining year for FIFA, soccer, and their joint efforts to permanently break into the traditionally Super Bowl-oriented US market. At its heart is California’s rich roots in the sport. Tana, a taxi driver, wished there was more knowledge, more support and more avenues for young players when he was affected by the earthquake in his childhood, but if they had been there, his path could have been very different. Janmohamed envisions an opportunity to accomplish just that.
“Responsibility is the right word,” she said. “Early on when I started this job, I got all the soccer organizations together, Bay and Bay FC and the San Jose Earthquakes, and said this is a really good opportunity for us to grow soccer.
“I have two children, they both play soccer, and this will be a memory for them for the rest of their lives. When you come to a World Cup or a really big event and you see the players you see on TV, it motivates you to go to the next practice, work hard in the next practice and have a good training session.”
“It’s not just about making sure they have access to the games, but how we organize the viewing parties. How do we make sure that all the kids we have responsibility for on a daily basis have the ability to participate in the World Cup in some way? That’s going to drive them to be better athletes on the field.”
For now, Janmohamed and his team of experts are tasked with building excitement for Super Bowl 60, especially with the Pro Bowl game being held the same week. The stars are in town, the world is here, and the Bay Area is more than ready.
“For people who come here as tourists or who live here, it’s really, really great to be able to eat at a restaurant in and around your own neighborhood that is known to elite athletes at that level,” she said.
“I think it increases your visibility. You see people you admire in and around your neighborhood and people you see on TV.”
Welcome to the bay.
Watch the New England Patriots take on the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60 on Sunday, February 8th at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. There will be live coverage on Skyspot NFL from 10pm, prior to kickoff at approximately 11:30pm.
