The largest ball in the world was unveiled in the passage of Citadel Outlets in the city of Commerce, with which fever began to break out for the World Cup of Soccer, the largest sporting event on the planet, which will start this Thursday at the Azteca Stadium with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, and the next day, the United States will play against Paraguay at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

“The World’s Biggest Soccer Ball Experience” at Citadel Outlets is a ball-shaped metal structure that is 20 feet tall (approximately six meters) and weighs more than 4,000 pounds (1,800 kilograms).

"It's not just a soccer ball. It's a walkable, immersive experience that symbolizes so much more than the sport," said Manny Quere, Citadel marketing manager. “Best of all, for as long as the facility remains, we will be collecting soccer equipment and supplies to benefit The Boys and Girls Club Whittier.

The ball features a 79-foot-long LED screen and a display of team flags from around the world.

Among the activities scheduled for the months of June and July, fans will be able to test their football knowledge with questions and answers such as: Do you know which country has won the most cups?, and Do you recognize this football shirt?

In front of the imposing structure, Alex Mendoza, three-time freestyle soccer champion, and Josh Rey did magic with their control of the ball, to the delight of the spectators.

“I started playing as a child,” said Mendoza, 34 years old. “With my friends, every day we played in the middle of the street.”

For his part, Josh Rey announced that his passion for freestyle soccer was born from the admiration he had for Alex Mendoza. “I had the pleasure of meeting him, he inspired me a lot and now we both dedicate ourselves to doing what we like.”

Both freestyle soccer professionals have traveled to various parts of the world and cities in the United States, such as New York or Miami, showing the refined technique for juggling the ball.

“My passion for soccer is great,” said Mendoza, whose dream is for Mexico to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

"We don't have [Lionel] Messi, but we have players like Raúl Jiménez or Gilberto Mora; we have a good team, but only on paper does Argentina look better because they have already won World Cups and we haven't."

Mendoza's comment came about because his freestyle soccer partner has Argentine roots.

“Argentina not only comes to defend the Cup, but they come to win it again,” commented Josh Rey.

The excitement of fans - particularly Latinos - was also experienced in Citadel sports stores, including Adidas, where jerseys from national teams such as Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, the United States and Mexico were offered at a discount.

“I came to visit my relatives, and I decided to buy a jersey from Mexico,” said Evelyn Contreras, who resides in Calgary, Canada. “There is none of this emotion there.”

In other exclusive brand stores, t-shirts from Germany, Brazil, the United States, France and Italy were selling for over $175.

California offers safety guarantees

During an online briefing, officials from the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and partners declared readiness for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, an effort that involves more than 100 planning exercises and coordination with 50 public safety agencies.

Cal OES will mobilize 100 staff members and deploy emergency management teams. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will manage traffic with 800 employees and 30 units of machinery and equipment, while the California Highway Patrol will deploy more than 350 agents.

Likewise, federal authorities, including the United States Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), are providing significant support.

Specialized civil support teams from the California National Guard will be in Inglewood (SoFi Stadium) and Santa Clara (Levi's Stadium) for the detection of weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive) and environmental awareness, and position 100 teams of quick reaction soldiers plus another 500 ready to act. If necessary, they would deploy reaction soldiers for consequence management support.

“California is preparing to safely host one of the largest international events in modern history: the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” said Caroline Thomas Jacobs, director of the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).

“This tournament will bring hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world to California, showcasing our communities, culture and economy on a global stage, and requires an extraordinary level of coordination to ensure everyone can safely enjoy the games, fan events and celebrations that come with the World Cup.”

He expressed that, at Cal OES, public safety is always the top priority and that California has extensive experience in managing large emergencies and mass events, coordinating responses to some of the most complex incidents in the country.

"These experiences have shaped our preparation for the FIFA [World Cup]. What sets the World Cup apart from a typical event is its magnitude, duration and complexity. It is not a one-day operation, but a month-long international event involving multiple host cities, fan festivals, airports, transportation systems, hotels, critical infrastructure and millions of people moving through California every day," he said.

Therefore, he stated that California is taking a whole-of-government approach, and that for more than a year, Cal OES has worked together with FIFA, host jurisdictions, local governments, public safety agencies, transportation officials, the federal government and the private sector to prepare for one of the largest sporting events in the world.

That effort includes coordination with the Inglewood and Santa Clara police departments; the fire departments and sheriff's offices of Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties; the California Highway Patrol (CHP); the California National Guard; Caltrans; the United States Secret Service, the FBI, FEMA and TSA.

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