The Countdown is On: DPR Construction Helps Kick Off the 2026 FIFA World Cup

The countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is officially underway, which will be held in North America for the first time since 1994. With fans around the globe gearing up to cheer on their national football teams, the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) wanted to start the countdown in a way that’s never been done before.

FIFA’s vision was to install customized countdown clocks in each host city, reflecting the unique aspects of each location to build excitement and allow fans to engage.

To bring that vision to life, DPR Construction assisted FIFA in building something special: 13 of the 16 custom countdown clocks in the U.S., each a tribute to the host cities and the excitement ahead.

DPR’s Self-Perform Work (SPW) team was tasked with building all 13 U.S. clocks in record time—just over one month from beginning design to setting in place at all sites. DPR's Prefabrication Assembly Facility moved quickly to develop a repeatable, scalable production line, and with support from DPR strategic partners Evergreen Innovation Group (EIG), OES and OES Transportation, work started immediately. Skilled tradespeople spanning DPR’s SPW scopes, including carpentry, doors, frames and hardware, and acoustic ceiling tile experts collaborated to develop an innovative and lean assembly method, extending to even the custom wood crates used to protect the clocks during transportation.

After the first clock was completed and approved, it was go-time, and DPR’s timer started ticking. The team built and shipped four clocks a day over the course of three days to deliver visually striking and well-built clocks. Each sign stands 10 feet tall and five feet wide, mounted on a steel base, weighing around 650 lbs. They light up from within and feature a cutout of the World Cup trophy with a soccer ball at the top, perfect for fans and passing pedestrians to snap a selfie while pretending to head the ball.

This project became nonstop 24 hours a day for the last five days, and the team collaborated across three time zones to deliver something unforgettable. Every clock arrived on time and DPR was able to guarantee a smooth installation of each clock by leveraging local SPW teammates in each city.

One of the highlights for the Bay Area team was delivering their local clock to the Santa Clara site, just down the road from DPR’s new office currently in construction near Levi’s Stadium.

The clocks were unveiled on June 11, 2025, across all 16 host cities and are positioned in iconic locations around each city. The clocks are now ticking down to midnight on June 11, 2026, the start of the world’s biggest sporting event.