FIFA Opens New Corporate Office Right Here in Florida

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Hey, soccer fans and locals alike—big news is brewing in Coral Gables! The world’s soccer governing body, FIFA, has just planted its flag in our sunny city, opening its first-ever corporate office in the Western Hemisphere. Yes, you read that right! The Zurich-based Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) now calls Coral Gables one of its official homes.

This new office, sprawled across a sleek 15,000-square-foot space at 396 Alhambra Circle, isn’t just another spot on the map. It’s a bold move by FIFA as they gear up for the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup 2026, which, in case you didn’t know, Miami will be co-hosting. Imagine the excitement! The office space itself is pretty significant—just across the hall from where FIFA temporarily set up shop in a massive 60,000-square-foot space in the same building.

But what’s really exciting is what this new office means for the global soccer scene. FIFA President Gianni Infantino himself shed some light on this. He mentioned that for FIFA to truly be a global entity, it needs to have a local presence in key spots around the world. And where better to start than right here in Miami? "To be global, one must be local," Infantino said, emphasizing how being in Miami aligns perfectly with FIFA's goal of making a positive impact on soccer’s development.

The Coral Gables office isn’t just any office—it’s now the hub for FIFA’s legal and compliance division, which recently made the jump from their main headquarters in Zurich. It’s the third corporate office for FIFA, joining the ranks of Zurich and Paris. About 350 employees are currently making waves in the Coral Gables offices, although after the World Cup, about 100 will continue to work in the permanent office.

Behind the scenes, the lease negotiations were orchestrated by Andres Del Corral, Danet Linares, and Tere Blanca of Blanca Commercial Real Estate, who represented the building’s landlord, Agave Holdings. And here’s a fun fact: 396 Alhambra LLC, a subsidiary of Agave Holdings, snagged the property back in 2005 for a cool $21.5 million. The entire commercial complex offers a whopping 273,000 square feet of office space split between two towers, plus some 30,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor, and an 884-space parking garage to boot.

If you’re familiar with the area, you know that 396 Alhambra Circle is just a short hop from The Plaza Coral Gables—a bustling mixed-use development also owned by Agave. This vibrant spot is home to big names like Apple, Bacardi USA, Bradesco Bank, and tech giant ACI Worldwide, making it a prime location for business and leisure.

And let’s not forget the bigger picture here—FIFA’s presence in Coral Gables is a big win for South Florida’s office market, which has been thriving post-pandemic. With the FIFA World Cup 2026 set to draw more than 600,000 fans to our area, the economic boost is expected to be enormous. According to a study by the Boston Consulting Group, the economic impact in Miami and other host cities across North America could range anywhere from $90 million to $480 million. And Miami-Dade County is all in, pledging $35.5 million in public funding and services for the event, which includes seven electrifying matches at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

So, whether you’re a die-hard soccer enthusiast or just excited about the global attention on our community, this news is something to celebrate. FIFA is here, and they’re here to stay, bringing a piece of the world’s most popular sport right to our doorstep.