Latino Sports Legends Gather in San Francisco Ahead of Super Bowl

NFL and Impact-X Sports host mixer with top Latino football players to celebrate Latino influence in sports.

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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The who's who in sports within the Latino community gathered in San Francisco on the day before Super Bowl Sunday for a mixer hosted by the NFL and Impact-X Sports. The event featured a panel discussion with Latino football legends like 49ers great Jeff Garcia and Bengals Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz, who spoke about the growing influence and importance of Latinos in the sports industry.

Why it matters

The event highlights the increasing prominence and financial clout of the Latino community in the world of sports. Organizers noted that Latinos are a critical demographic for the NFL's future growth, with one out of every three dollars in the $300 billion sports industry expected to come from Latino consumers over the next decade.

The details

The mixer at The Pearl in San Francisco included a panel discussion featuring some of the top Latino football players in history, including 49ers legend Jeff Garcia and Cincinnati Bengals Hall of Famer Anthony Munoz. The event was put on by the NFL and the agency Impact-X Sports to celebrate the Latino influence and legacy in the sport. Organizers emphasized the business imperative for the sports industry to engage the Latino community, which is expected to drive a significant portion of the industry's projected growth from $160 billion to $300 billion over the next 10 years.

  • The mixer took place on Saturday, February 8, 2026, one day before Super Bowl Sunday.

The players

Jeff Garcia

A 49ers legend and former NFL quarterback.

Anthony Munoz

A Hall of Fame offensive lineman who played for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Impact-X Sports

An agency that co-hosted the mixer event with the NFL to celebrate Latino influence in sports.

NFL

The National Football League, which co-hosted the mixer event to highlight the growing importance of the Latino community to the sports industry.

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What they’re saying

“I think it's great to see Latinos in sports. Something I think, I believe, has been overlooked for a while. I always use the example that back in the 80s a Latino won the Super Bowl. Tom Flores and Jim Plunkett.”

— Anthony Munoz, Cincinnati Bengals Hall of Famer

“Latinos are important to sports. The reality is this is a business imperative to go after this cohort. Over the next 10 years the sports industry as a whole is going to grow from 160 billion to 300 billion. And one out of every $3 is attributable to the Latino cohort.”

— Xavier

“We know for the NFL, our currency is relevant. And if we're not relevant to over 70 million US Latinos in the US, we would never be successful. The Latino community is critical to the success of the NFL.”

— Marissa

What’s next

At Super Bowl 60, six Latinos will be on the field, continuing to showcase the growing Latino presence and influence in the NFL.

The takeaway

This event highlights the increasing prominence and financial importance of the Latino community in the sports industry. As the sports market continues to grow, engaging with Latino fans and consumers has become a critical business imperative for leagues like the NFL to remain relevant and successful.