‘Blur our differences and find our commonalities’: Josh Shapiro stresses unity at World Cup

Gov. Josh Shapiro thinks sports could be the key to unity ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

“To me, sports is still one of the few things that allows people from all different walks of life, and different political views, to actually come together and enjoy each other’s company,” Shapiro said in an interview with 6abc while in Philadelphia for Monday’s World Cup match between France and Iraq.

Luckily for Shapiro, Pennsylvania has had no shortage of sporting events. After this spring’s NFL draft and PGA Championships were both held in the state, Philadelphia is hosting six World Cup games through July and the forthcoming MLB All-Star Game.

Shapiro said this was intentional.

“We worked really, really hard to stack these events up,” Shapiro told 6abc. “And I was really purposeful about this, that as we celebrate our history, we have to find ways to come together.”

Shapiro has attended two of the three World Cup games held in the city so far, taking in Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Ecuador on June 14 before attending France’s 3-0 victory against Iraq.

VisitPA has committed $31.6 million to Philadelphia Soccer 2026 to help aid World Cup costs. Through this sponsorship, the state, including Shapiro, has access to tickets and suites.

“The Commonwealth has access to a mix of suite, VIP, and general admission tickets, which are being used to host business leaders, prospective partners, and other guests to further strengthen Pennsylvania’s economic development and promote the Commonwealth as the best place to visit, live, and do business,” Rosie Lapowsky, a spokesperson for Shapiro, wrote in an email.

Shapiro said he stopped by the FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill before the game and admired how welcoming Philadelphians were to tourists from all over the globe.

“We are welcoming people,” Shapiro said. “We want you here, and we want you to celebrate not just a great sport; we want you to celebrate the greatest country on the face of the earth at this important moment as we celebrate the 250th birth of this nation.”

Fan fests are being held in multiple locations, allowing Pennsylvanians to bask in the World Cup excitement across the state.

“We were really insistent that this fan fest not be the only one, that we have them across the state,” Shapiro told The Inquirer during that event. “So we got one in Scranton, Reading, and Pittsburgh, and I think we’re going to see a lot of the excitement in there, too.”

Shapiro, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, is among the many possible 2028 aspirants to attend World Cup events. According to Politico, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have all also attended games.

Politico reported that, ahead of the games, Shapiro distributed 700 free tickets to Philadelphia community organizations to make the games as accessible as possible and bring people together.

“I think it [the World Cup] has a great way of allowing us to kind of blur our differences and find our commonalities and come together,” Shapiro told 6abc.

Staff writer Owen Hewitt contributed to this article.