The District of Columbia and Baltimore are teaming up for a bid to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Officials announced the two cities would merge their solo bids to hold games at the M&T Bank stadium in Maryland. Although the District isn’t proposing to stage any matches, the plan would see D.C. host a fan festival to draw soccer fans to the region.

“We are thrilled to team up with our sister city to bring the FIFA World Cup 2026 to the Sports Capital,” said D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser in a statement on Thursday. “We know that the Washington-Baltimore bid is a winning bid.”

The 2026 World Cup will take place in multiple cities across Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. At least 10 stadiums in the United States will host matches, according to the Washington Post. A portion of the tournament’s games, which typically take place over a month with more than 60 matches in total, could be held in Maryland under this combined bid.

D.C. is proposing hosting a FIFA Fan Festival along the National Mall and Pennsylvania Avenue, which would allow the public to watch live broadcasts of the games. Such viewing events have been a staple in the World Cup since 2006. This celebration would also take place in conjunction with the 250th anniversary (also known as a semiquincentennial) of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of the U.S. Officials are predicting the event could draw more than one million attendees, which they say could become the highest single-day attendance in FIFA Fan Festival history.

Events DC did not immediately respond to a request for additional information on the bid.

Both cities have already sought to host the next World Cup separately, and FIFA officials visited each location to assess readiness to host the event. D.C.’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Advisory Board — which was created in 2020 — cited the District’s history as a hub for international relations, as well as its experience in hosting large-scale events to make its case for being the home of the next World Cup games. At the time, officials predicted that the hosting gig could result in an estimated $500 million and 3,500 new jobs for the District. The city proposed hosting the matches at FedEx Field in Landover, but FIFA officials were reportedly not impressed by the site when they visited last fall, likely prompting the joint bid with Charm City.

Baltimore’s bid, meanwhile, pointed to the newly renovated M&T Bank Stadium (with a seating capacity of more than 71,000) as a site to hold matches, and noted the stadium’s proximity to both rail transit and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall airport.

According to officials from Events DC and the Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland, the joint bid would utilize offerings, such as established security and regional transportation services, from each city’s previous proposals. Officials also cite an established soccer fan base in the region that would take advantage of the event’s offerings. In 2021, the Washington Spirit beat out the Chicago Red Stars to win the National Women’s Soccer League Championship. With four championship titles, DC United has the second most wins in Major League Soccer history.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring another world-class event to Charm City,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott in the statement. “Mayor Bowser and I want to ensure we give our cities the best opportunity to win this major event which will provide massive economic boosts for both urban centers.”

Other contenders to host matches in the U.S. are Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, the New York/New Jersey region, Orlando, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle. D.C. previously hosted a portion of the FIFA World Cup in 1994, as well as the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1999 and 2003.

According to FIFA, the selection process is expected to be finalized as early as the end of June.