Diane McGraw (Photo: Tyler Thrasher/FOX)
PHILADELPHIA - Long before Philadelphia became a 2026 World Cup host city, Diane McGraw was trying to convince people here that soccer could fill a stadium.
Back then, she said, not everyone believed it.
More than three decades later, the World Cup is finally coming to Philadelphia. For McGraw, the moment is not just about the matches. It is about what the city can do with the spotlight.
What we know:
McGraw, president and executive producer of McGraw Productions, is launching the World Peace Project during Philadelphia’s World Cup summer.
The project includes a free youth soccer clinic on June 11 at WSFS Bank Sportsplex and a U.S. Men’s National Team watch party on June 12 at Stateside Live for the USA’s World Cup opener against Paraguay.
McGraw said the watch party is also a fundraiser to help support the World Peace Project’s broader programming, including a future Youth Peace Summit for high school students.
"Come for the cup and stay for the cause," McGraw said.
The watch party
The World Peace Project will host a U.S. Men’s National Team World Cup watch party at Stateside Live on Friday, June 12.
The event runs from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. as the U.S. Men’s National Team faces Paraguay in its World Cup opener.
The night begins with a reception from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., followed by the watch party from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Tickets are $75 and include access to the full watch party experience, a buffet featuring classic Philly favorites, live entertainment and curated Museum of Sports memorabilia.
Stateside Live! (Photo: Tyler Thrasher/FOX)
The event will feature Legends for Peace athletes, former U.S. National Team, World Cup and MLS players, along with local Philly sports legends.
McGraw said fans who buy a ticket to the watch party will also have a chance to win two World Cup tickets to the Brazil-Haiti match in Philadelphia on June 19, along with a pregame hospitality experience at Stateside Live.
"When you come to Stateside Live and buy a ticket, you will have a chance to win two tickets to the World Cup on June 19 when Brazil plays Haiti," McGraw said.
The backstory:
McGraw’s connection to Philadelphia soccer goes back decades.
She said that after returning to Philadelphia from Europe in the late 1980s, she tried to bring major international soccer to the city. At the time, she said, there was doubt that Philadelphia would support the sport.
In 1989, McGraw helped stage a U.S. men’s national team match against Dnipro Ukraine at Franklin Field. She said the match drew more than 43,000 people and helped fund the Philadelphia Sports Congress, U.S. Soccer and early World Cup efforts.
She later helped stage another major match in 1991 involving Sheffield Wednesday.
Those events helped build momentum for Philadelphia’s bid to host matches during the 1994 World Cup, though the city was ultimately not selected.
"Well, it’s finally here," McGraw said. "World Cup 2026 coming to the U.S., coming to Philadelphia. And I’ve been waiting for this for 34 years."
Diane (center) with the FIFA contingent during their Philadelphia inspection visit in 1992.
The Pelé connection
McGraw’s World Cup story also includes a memorable connection to Pelé, the late Brazilian soccer legend.
She said she met Pelé years after first crossing paths with him at a New York Cosmos event. During a later World Cup-related event in Washington, she told him about her effort to bring soccer to Philadelphia.
Brazilian soccer legend Pelé (far left) and Diane McGraw (far right)
McGraw said Pelé reached into his wallet and gave her a four-leaf clover with a note that said, "Your friend Pelé."
"He said, ‘Diane, I’m going to help you get the World Cup to Philadelphia,’" McGraw said.
Philadelphia did not get the World Cup then. But now, decades later, McGraw said she likes to think Pelé gave the city his blessing.
Four-leaf clover pressed and signed by Pelé, given to McGraw.
The World Peace Project
The World Peace Project is a global initiative launching in Philadelphia during a historic summer for the city.
The project is inspired by Pope Leo XIV’s message during the Vatican’s Jubilee of Sport to build unity, faith and peace through sport.
McGraw said the idea grew from her career in sports and entertainment and her desire to give back.
"I’m a mission-driven company, and I just want to give back," McGraw said. "I was given so many opportunities with the jobs and careers that I was blessed with."
The World Peace Project is produced by McGraw Productions, with the Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia serving as its fiscal sponsor. McGraw said partners including Ciright and BTA Sports have helped get the project off the ground, from early funding to promoting the watch party.
Proceeds from the USA vs. Paraguay watch party will help fund the Youth Peace Summit, which organizers describe as the marquee event of the World Peace Project.
The summit is planned for high school students during the 2026-27 academic year. Organizers said it will use technology and dialogue to address leadership, conflict resolution and the responsible use of AI in a global society.
McGraw said the goal is not for the project to last only during the World Cup. She wants it to grow into an ongoing effort focused on young people, leadership, conflict resolution and the responsible use of technology.
"We need to create a peaceful world for our kids because if we don’t have peace, they don’t have a future," McGraw said.
Caption: 1994 USMNT captain John Harkes, left, former New York Cosmos player Roberto Ferman, center, and Diane McGraw, right, are pictured together as part of the World Peace Project’s Legends of Peace.
Youth soccer clinic
The World Peace Project will kick off its programming with a free youth soccer clinic on Thursday, June 11, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at WSFS Bank Sportsplex.
The clinic is being held in partnership with The SWAG, a no-cost training program for young athletes from under-resourced communities in Philadelphia.
The clinic will feature Legends for Peace athletes and coaches, including former USWNT members Heather Mitts and Kim Maslin-Kammerdeiner, former USMNT coach John Kowalski and former New York Cosmos player Roberto Ferman.
Organizers said the clinic will give young athletes a chance to learn from accomplished players and coaches while focusing on teamwork, leadership, perseverance and success on and off the field.
Why it matters
Philadelphia will be one of the centers of the soccer world this summer, with World Cup matches bringing international fans, teams and attention to the city.
McGraw said that kind of moment can do more than fill stadiums and hotel rooms.
She said sports can create connections, and the World Cup gives Philadelphia a chance to show itself to the world while building something that lasts beyond the tournament.
"It’s going to bring a tremendous amount of economic impact, fill hotel rooms, have international people come here and see the great city that we have, Philadelphia, and all that it has to offer," McGraw said.
For McGraw, the timing of the World Peace Project is simple.
"World peace during a time when the world is coming together into one spot," McGraw said. "It’s a no-brainer."
What's next:
The World Peace Project’s youth soccer clinic will be held June 11 at WSFS Bank Sportsplex.
The USA-Paraguay watch party will be held June 12 at Stateside Live from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Tickets for the watch party are available through Heyday Athletics, according to the World Peace Project.
The Source: This article was written using information from a FOX 29 interview with Diane McGraw and materials from the World Peace Project.