Goleta might host a FIFA team in June for the 2026 World Cup in North America, the largest one in history. 

The Goleta City Council gave city staff the green light on Tuesday to file a host city agreement with FIFA, a necessary step to be considered as a training base camp in the global soccer competition. 

If chosen to be a host city, one of the 48 teams participating in the World Cup would stay at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara, practice at UC Santa Barbara’s Harder Stadium and fly out of the Santa Barbara Airport.

Since Harder Stadium is technically out of Goleta’s jurisdiction, UCSB has to file a separate training site agreement with FIFA.

Alongside giving a green light to the agreement, the City Council also approved $100,000 to go toward public safety, community engagement and other related costs. 

The agreement, provided by FIFA, outlines specific rules and guidelines, which city staff acknowledged do not give the city a lot of flexibility. 

For instance, Goleta gets no say in regards to which team gets assigned to the city. 

The uncertainty about which team exactly would be arriving raised concerns. 

“I just don’t know if there has been any thought to whether or not any particular country could have any potential controversy linked to it,” Councilwoman Jennifer Smith said.

City Manager Robert Nisbet agreed that Smith’s concern could be a possibility, and said that was one of the factors that made it difficult for city staff to estimate security costs. 

“We have made a conscious decision at UCSB that we will not host a team that has any controversial elements to it, and we have made that clear to FIFA,” said Johnny Whallon, assistant athletic director for student services at the university.

Another clause in the agreement is that the host city has to provide police escorts “within and reasonably outside Goleta,” according to the city staff report. 

Nisbet said he has introduced the idea to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and has received confirmation from officials that they would be able to provide security and law enforcement. 

Additionally, Goleta will need to submit a safety and security plan following the host city agreement.

“I think it will be really important for us to think about that and put our best foot forward on why this community is safe, and why a plan that we put together will work for the team,” Nisbet said.

Councilman James Kyriaco also wondered whether the public beach near the Ritz-Carlton Bacara would pose as a security risk. 

Nisbet said he added to the agreement that the security requirement would be applicable only for land controlled by the city. 

Other issues raised by council members included traffic concerns since the team will be in Goleta around the same time as UCSB’s commencement and peak summertime tourism.

“We have thought about it, and we are working with our campus partners to address that, how to make it have minimal impact as possible,” Whallon said.

The idea of Goleta being a host city was first proposed by Visit Santa Barbara CEO/President Kathy Janega-Dykes in late December. 

“The intangible benefits raises the profile of the city of Goleta and really puts it into a different league,” Janega-Dykes said. “Our goal is to bring more of these high-profile events coming into the area.”

It wouldn’t be the first time a high-profile team practices near the Goleta area. 

The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team is set to play on Jan. 27 at Harder Stadium.

Council members said they also hoped that if FIFA accepts Goleta’s host city agreement, there would be community events over the summer.

“I do hope that, to the greatest extent possible, it is Goleta that is highlighted and that with any of these other events, they are community serving,” Councilwoman Luz Reyes-Martín said. 

Mayor Paula Perotte agreed, and proposed an event in which the community could come watch a practice.

As of Tuesday, city staff did not know when they might find out if Goleta has been selected.