From World Cup Hosts to Friendship City? Alexandria Eyes a New Tie With Osijek, Croatia
Alexandria’s month as Croatia’s World Cup home base may be turning into something longer-lasting: a new city-to-city friendship across the Atlantic.
ALEXANDRIA, VA—Mayor Alyia Gaskins asked City Council Tuesday to support exploring a friendship-city relationship with Osijek, Croatia, extending a connection that grew while Alexandria hosted Croatia’s national soccer team during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The proposal came during the Sept. 22 legislative meeting; the City’s official webcast archive includes the meeting.
A Friendship, Not Yet a Sister City
The idea would be narrower than Alexandria’s established sister-city relationships. A friendship-city agreement can be more limited in time and scope, giving two communities a chance to build exchanges around specific interests before deciding whether to pursue something more formal.
Alexandria already maintains international relationships through its Sister Cities program, including ties with Dundee, Scotland; Helsingborg, Sweden; Caen, France; and Gyumri, Armenia.
Osijek, on the Drava River in eastern Croatia, is a regional center for culture, education and sports. The City of Osijek’s official website describes a community centered in Croatia’s Slavonia region, with a university, riverfront and strong civic identity.
The World Cup Connection Keeps Growing
The proposal grows directly out of Alexandria’s highly visible Croatian summer. Before the World Cup, the City hosted a free waterfront celebration of Croatian music, food and culture and described the relationship with the Croatian Embassy as a developing partnership. The City’s May announcement framed Alexandria’s role as Croatia’s official team base camp as an opportunity to welcome fans and visitors from around the world.
No friendship-city agreement has been approved yet. If the proposal advances, Oct. 13 would be the next public step.
But for a city that spent June cheering in red-and-white checks, the idea has a distinctly Alexandria flavor: take a month-long international sports moment and see whether it can become a real relationship.
