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511 people set a new Guinness World Record yesterday for simultaneous ball juggling in the air at Lummus Park in Miami Beach, surpassing the previous record of 459 participants during the Copa del Sol festival, held in anticipation of the 2026 World Cup.
The milestone consisted of keeping the ball in the air for 10 seconds simultaneously, and was part of a coordinated action on a global scale: in total, more than 5,000 fans from five countries participated in the synchronized initiative on the same day.
The record, step by step
The Copa del Sol festival, a free three-day event held from June 5 to 7 on 8th and 10th Streets in Miami Beach, brought together freestylers and jugglers from over 30 countries for the attempt.
When the result was confirmed, the official announcer proclaimed to the participants: "Today I can announce that in Miami, Florida, United States, you have a total of around 511 worldwide. This is a new Guinness World Record title. Congratulations. You are officially amazing."
The results were still in the process of official certification by Guinness World Records at the time of publication.
Laura Biondo, figure and spokesperson
One of the highlights of the event was the Venezuelan freestyler Laura Biondo, the first Latin American to be crowned world freestyle champion and holder of over 15 Guinness records throughout her career.
Biondo, born in Venezuela and raised between that country, the United States, and Italy, explained the purpose of the event: "We are here to break a Guinness World Record for the largest number of people juggling a soccer ball at the same time in multiple locations around the world, to raise awareness about climate change and how it affects the beaches where we play."
The freestyler had already achieved a similar milestone in 2021, when she broke two Guinness world records at the Inter Miami stadium.
A climate cause behind the ball
The initiative was driven by the non-profit organization Count Us In, through its campaign "Where Football Lives," associated with the 2026 World Cup.
A spokesperson for the campaign emphasized the supportive background of the record: "This Guinness record is important because we are also raising funds to help grassroots organizations adapt to extreme weather. Parks and schools are the most affected, and we want to help them play longer."
Another participant illustrated the urgency of the message with a personal experience: "As a soccer player, climate change affects our game. Just two nights ago, I went to play a match and we had to wait over an hour because a huge storm arrived. We all love the game, but we also need to be safe."
The campaign directly addresses the context of the tournament: "It's going to be one of the hottest World Cups in history. And Miami is already set to be one of the hottest cities, and they don't have air conditioning in the stadiums."
Miami, epicenter of the 2026 World Cup
The Copa del Sol festival was organized by Plei, in partnership with One Game One Passion Miami, Street Soccer USA, and the Host Committee for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Miami. It featured 4v4 tournaments with over 150 teams across Open, Women’s, Corporate, and Youth categories.
As reported by Telemundo 51, "the Copa del Sol was the place for Miami fans to break a Guinness record to welcome the football festival."
Miami will host seven matches of the 2026 World Cup at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, including four group stage matches, one round of 16 match, one quarterfinal, and the third place match on July 18, 2026.
In parallel to the record in Miami, around 30,000 people in Mexico City created the largest Mexican wave in the world to commemorate the 40th anniversary of that celebration, which gained worldwide recognition during the .
The tournament kicks off on June 11, and Miami anticipates welcoming around one million visitors during the World Cup festivities, making the city one of the football epicenters of the summer.
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