Washington, DC is a growing, multi-cultural city with most residents originating from elsewhere. No matter the political affiliation, race, creed, sexual orientation, gender, or upbringing; the community is bound together by the notion of DC as home and center of the country. Washington, DC is unique among American cities because it was established by the United States Constitution to serve as the nation’s capital. First known as the District of Columbia, the city was founded in 1790, a year later renamed after President George Washington. The American government is centered in the district, as are such international bodies as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Organization of American States and 174 embassies.

Located directly adjacent to Washington is Prince George’s County, MD, home to FedExField, a proposed FIFA World Cup™ stadium. As a result of the diverse population and alliances with many nations, the Washington metropolitan area has resulted in an appreciation of football and has led to the success of D.C. United of Major League Soccer (MLS), which is consistently one of the top five teams in attendance.

There are well over 100,000 registered youth participating in football throughout the District, the state of Maryland and northern Virginia. Washington, DC serves as the headquarters for several major national non-profit organizations aimed at using football to reach disadvantaged youth including the U.S. Soccer Foundation and America Scores.

The city was a venue for four matches during the 1994 FIFA World Cup USA™, Prince George’s County hosted the phenomenally successful FIFA Women’s World Cup USA 1999™ and both have become regulars on the international football scene, hosting major FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers and star-studded international friendly matches.

In the recent past, Washington, DC has hosted high-profile sporting events including 2018 Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, an international friendly match between Barcelona and Manchester United in 2017 and the 2015 National Hockey League’s Winter Classic.