Visa and Bank of America have partnered with Street Soccer USA to open football parks in cities across the US with the aim of broadening access to the sport.
The companies will launch open park spaces in six cities, starting with the first Visa Street Soccer Parks in San Francisco, which opened on June 10.
Each park will feature two professional-grade Bank of America fields, with the bank also providing lighting for evening activities, digital scoreboards, learning centres and seating areas for spectators and community events.
The initiative is designed to unite communities, support youth development and strengthen local connections through sport and purpose-led programmes.
As a result, the parks are designed to be vibrant centres for community engagement so they can offer more than just a space to play football and serve as local platforms for community connection, growth and opportunity.
Additional parks are set to open in Denver in August, Kansas City in September, New York City in October, Nashville in November and Atlanta later this winter.
The launch of the parks aims to build momentum ahead of a landmark moment in US football history, as the country prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
David Tyrie, president of marketing, digital and specialised consumer client solutions at Bank of America, said: “Sports bring communities together, and over the next few years, the entire world will come together for soccer in North America,
“These fields will provide high-quality spaces where the lessons of soccer – teamwork, goal-setting, preparation and determination – come to life for the next generation.”