On Location Unveils Star-Studded Roster for "Starting 16" FIFA World Cup 2026™ Hospitality Captain Program
Each host city to be represented by celebrity personalities from across sports and entertainment to bring fans closer than ever to FIFA World Cup 2026™
NEW YORK, Dec. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On Location, a leading global provider of premium hospitality experiences and the official hospitality provider of FIFA World Cup 2026™, today unveiled the roster for its "Starting 16" Captain program that will bring together global stars from across sports and entertainment, such as Carmelo Anthony, Ciara, Cobie Smulders, Miguel Layún, and Rob Lowe, among others, to be "Captains" of their respective host cities and bring their followers and soccer fans closer than ever to the FIFA World Cup 2026™ hospitality experience.
The Starting 16 Captains will each represent a FIFA World Cup 2026™ Host City, showcasing the extraordinary access and world-class experiences that On Location offers fans. Each Captain will serve as the face of On Location in their respective cities at select events and on social media representing FIFA World Cup 2026™ hospitality packages and helping bring the local flair of each city to life for traveling fans from around the world.
Below is the full list of Captains and their respective host cities.
- Atlanta – Ciara (Multi Platinum GRAMMY - winning global superstar)
- Boston – Julian Edelman (Three-Time Super Bowl Champion with the New England Patriots)
- Dallas – Tiffany Derry (Celebrity Chef & Entrepreneur)
- Guadalajara – To Be Announced
- Houston – Stu Holden (FOX Sports Lead Match Analyst & Former US Men's National Team World Cup member)
- Kansas City – Gracie Hunt (Philanthropist, Sports Enthusiast, Entrepreneur, and Media Professional)
- Los Angeles – Rob Lowe (Award-Winning Actor and Producer)
- Mexico City – Miguel Layún (Former Mexico Men's National Team Player)
- Miami – Sergio Agüero (Football Legend, Former Argentina National Team Player and Olympic Gold Medalist)
- Monterrey – Ana Casanova (Celebrity Chef & Content Creator)
- New York / New Jersey – Carmelo Anthony (Hall of Famer, 10-time NBA All Star, 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist, On-Air Analyst, Entrepreneur, and Philanthropist)
- Philadelphia – Brian Kelly (Founder of "The Points Guy")
- San Francisco – Kristin Juszczyk (Fashion Designer, Founder of Off Season)
- Seattle – Megan Rapinoe (Two-Time FIFA Women's World Cup Winner)
- Toronto – Susur Lee (Celebrity Chef, Owner of LEE Restaurant)
- Vancouver – Cobie Smulders (Actress and Producer)
The Starting 16 Captains come together as excitement around the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026™ intensifies and demand for On Location's hospitality packages will increase after the final match schedule was announced over the weekend.
"On Location is thrilled to partner with our Starting 16 roster of athletes, hospitality experts and creators to elevate our premium hospitality experiences for FIFA World Cup 2026," said Paul Caine, President of On Location. "Each of these captains has a unique love for sports and entertainment that will bring fans closer than ever to the beautiful game and the local flair of each host city leading up to and throughout the tournament."
Hear what each of the Captains had to say about joining the Starting 16 here on the official FIFA Hospitality Instagram page.
The Starting 16 Captains announcement also follows a two-week activation, "The Treatment", by On Location to elevate a local pick-up game across six different host cities into a premium hospitality experience and give fans a taste of what's to come across its various hospitality spaces at FIFA World Cup 2026™. The Treatment also debuted five of the Starting 16 Captains – Ciara, Miguel Layún, Rob Lowe, Sergio Agüero, and Tiffany Derry – who led the match ceremonies and showcased the various elements of local flair incorporated at the event.
On Location is the official hospitality partner to more than 150 rights partners, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC), National Football League (NFL), FIFA, the NCAA, UFC, WWE, and more, providing premium ticket-inclusive experiences to the world's major events like the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, the Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup 2026™, WrestleMania, NCAA Championships, and more.
Media Assets: Biographies and headshots for each Captain and additional information regarding FIFA World Cup 2026 ™ Hospitality packages and programming are available upon request.
To follow along, follow On Location and FIFA Hospitality on Instagram.
About On Location
On Location is a global leader in premium experiential hospitality, offering ticketing, curated guest experiences, live event production and travel management across sports, entertainment, fashion and culture. On Location provides unrivaled access for corporate clients and fans looking for official, immersive experiences at marquee events, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games, FIFA World Cup 2026™, Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four, and more. An official partner and/or service provider to over 150 iconic rights holders, such as the IOC (Milano Cortina 2026, LA 2028), FIFA, NFL, NCAA, UFC and PGA of America, and numerous musical artists and festivals, the company also owns and operates a number of its own unique experiences. On Location is a subsidiary of TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:TKO), a premium sports and sports entertainment company.
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/on-location-unveils-star-studded-roster-for-starting-16-fifa-world-cup-2026-hospitality-captain-program-302639587.html
SOURCE On Location