LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 21, 2024--
FIFA has selected Rock-it Cargo, a Global Critical Logistics (GCL) company, as the Official Logistics Provider of the FIFA World Cup 26™ – the game-changing edition of the tournament set to take place across 16 Host Cities in Canada, Mexico and the USA from 11 June to 19 July 2026.
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Rock-it Cargo will help FIFA create history, providing multi-year planning, management and event-logistics services as the FIFA World Cup™ expands to 48 teams and 104 matches across three countries and 16 Host Cities in 2026.
Appointed following a highly competitive request-for-proposal process, Rock-it Cargo demonstrated exceptional experience in planning and delivering event logistics to the world’s most complex and high-profile sporting and entertainment events.
FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said: “In Rock-it Cargo we have found the perfect partner to entrust with the critical logistics services for the biggest FIFA World Cup ever. We’ve been impressed by Rock-it Cargo’s experience and attention to detail, teamwork and passion to deliver operational excellence. Their global model fits perfectly with our extensive ambitions for the tournament.”
As the Official Logistics Provider of the FIFA World Cup 26, Rock-it Cargo will provide planning, management and event-logistics services, including with regard to customs and international freight forwarding, warehouse and distribution operations, on-site venue operations at the International Broadcast Centre and team equipment operations.
The multi-year partnership will begin in 2025, with Rock-it Cargo providing selected services for the new FIFA Club World Cup™ to be hosted across 12 stadiums in 11 different cities in June and July next year. The partnership will expand in scope to include a broader range of services for the FIFA World Cup a year later, with Rock-it Cargo also taking up a position as a Tournament Supporter for the game-changing global event.
President and CEO of GCL, the parent company of Rock-it Cargo, Daniel Rosenthal said: “We are deeply honoured to have been selected by FIFA to support the planning and delivery of the biggest FIFA World Cup ever. For nearly 50 years our team has been trusted by the world’s biggest artists and North American sports leagues to deliver extraordinary experiences through extensive planning, contingency management and outstanding event coordination. We look forward to drawing on our experience in the FIFA World Cup 26 stadiums and Host Cities to help successfully execute the 39-day tournament.”
Beyond its direct relationship with FIFA, Rock-it Cargo’s status as FIFA’s Official Logistics Provider – combined with its deep North American operational and customs experience, centralised warehouse infrastructure and last-mile ownership – will enable a more efficient and sustainable logistics service to be provided to FIFA’s partners, vendors, broadcasters and other stakeholders.
About Rock-it Cargo
Rock-it Cargo is the global leader in logistics for extraordinary experiences. The biggest names in music, sports, events, TV and film partner with Rock-it Cargo to bring their ambitious visions to life through bespoke freight services. The company, which began in 1978 serving Led Zeppelin, manages global logistics through end-to-end services including multimodal freight, event logistics planning, and custom storage and distribution solutions. Rock-It Cargo is a Global Critical Logistics (GCL) company, the market leader in two expansive logistics and project management sectors across the globe: live events, encompassing live music, sports and broadcasting, film and TV, and experiential events and exhibitions; and luxury goods, focused through the Dietl and CARS brands on fine art, automotive, and fashion. GCL leverages an unparalleled global network with 60 offices in 18 countries and 10,000 projects across more than 115 countries per year.
GCL President and CEO Daniel Rosenthal (L) and FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström (R) kicked off a multi-year agreement making Rock-it Cargo the Official Logistics Provider of the FIFA World Cup 26™ (Photo Credit: FIFA)
NEW YORK (AP) — Kamala Harris “wrote off rural America" during the 2024 presidential campaign and failed to attack Donald Trump with sufficient “negative firepower," according to a long-awaited post-election autopsy released on Thursday by the Democratic National Committee.
The committee's chair, Ken Martin, shared the 192-page report only after facing intense internal pressure from frustrated Democratic operatives concerned with his leadership. Martin had originally promised to release the autopsy, only to keep it under wraps for months because he was concerned it would be a distraction ahead of the midterms as Democrats mobilize to take back control of Congress.
On Tuesday, Martin apologized for his handling of the situation and conceded that the report was withheld because it “was not ready for primetime."
Although the autopsy criticizes Democrats' focus on “identity politics,” it sidesteps some of the most controversial elements of the 2024 campaign. The report does not address former President Joe Biden’s decision to seek reelection, the rushed selection of Harris to replace him on the ticket or the party's acrimonious divide over the war in Gaza.
“I am not proud of this product; it does not meet my standards, and it won’t meet your standards,” Martin wrote in an essay on Substack on Thursday. “I don’t endorse what’s in this report, or what’s left out of it. I could not in good faith put the DNC’s stamp of approval on it. But transparency is paramount.”
A spokesperson for Harris did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The initial reaction from Democratic operatives was a mix of bafflement and anger over Martin's handling of the situation.
“Why not say this in 2024, or bring in more people to finish it, instead of turning this into the dumbest media cycle for 7-8 months?” Democratic strategist Steve Schale wrote on social media.
The postelection report, which was authored by Democratic consultant Paul Rivera, calls for “a renewed focus on the voters of Middle America and the South, who have come to believe they are not included in the Democratic vision of a stronger and more dynamic America for everyone.”
“Millions of Americans are suffering from poor access to healthcare, manufacturing and job losses, and a failing infrastructure, yet continue to be persuaded to vote against their best interests because they do not see themselves reflected in the America of the Democratic Party,” the report says.
The autopsy points to a reduction in support and training for Democratic state parties, voter registration shifts and “a persistent inability or unwillingness to listen to all voters.”
Thursday's release comes as Martin confronts a crisis of confidence among party officials who are increasingly concerned about the health of their political machine barely a year into his term. Some Democratic operatives have had informal discussions about recruiting a new chair, even though most believe that Martin’s job wasn't in serious jeopardy ahead of the midterm elections.
The report found that Harris and her allies failed to focus enough on Trump's negatives, especially his felony convictions. This was part of a broader criticism that Democrats' messaging is too focused on reason and winning arguments, “even in cycles when the electorate is defined by rage.”
“There was a decision in the 2024 Democratic leadership not to engage in negative advertising at the scale required,” the report states. “The Trump campaign and supportive Super PACs went full throttle against Vice President Harris, but there was not sufficient or similar negative firepower directed at Trump by Democrats.”
The report continues: “It was essential to prosecute a more effective case as to why Trump should have been disqualified from ever again taking office. The grounds were there, but the messaging did not make the case.”
Trump's attack on Harris' transgender policies were cited as a key contrast.
Specifically, the report suggested the Democratic nominee was “boxed” in by the Trump campaign's “very effective” ad that highlighted Harris' previous statement of support for taxpayer-funded gender-affirming surgeries for prison inmates.
Democratic pollsters believed that “if the Vice President would not change her position – and she did not – then there was nothing which would have worked as a response," the report said.
The report criticized Harris' outreach to key segments of America while condemning the party's focus on “identity politics.”
“Harris wrote off rural America, assuming urban/suburban margins would compensate. The math doesn’t work,” the report says. “You can’t lose rural areas by overwhelming margins and make it up elsewhere when rural voters are a significant share of the electorate. If Democrats are to reclaim leadership in the Heartland or the South, candidates must perform well in rural turf. Show up, listen, and then do it again.”
The report also references Democrats' underperformance with male voters of color.
“Male voters require direct engagement. The gender gap can be narrowed. Deploy male messengers, address economic concerns, and don’t assume identity politics will hold male voters of color,” it says.
President Donald Trump speaks during an event about loosening a federal refrigerant rule, in the Oval Office at the White House, Thursday, May 21, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Former Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a fireside chat on Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)
FILE - Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at DNC headquarters, Jan. 12, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert, File)
