For the 2026 World Cup, FIFA has selected 16 cities in North America to host matches, with 11 in the United States, three from Mexico, and two from Canada. For the first time, the World Cup in 2026 will be held in three different countries, with a total of 48 teams competing in the event.
MetLife Stadium, SoFi Stadium, AT&T Stadium and Levi’s Stadium are the official venues for World Cup matches in New York and New Jersey, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco Bay Area, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Philadelphia and Kansas City, Missouri (Gillette Stadium).
Instead of the Rose Bowl, another Los Angeles-area stadium, the SoFi Stadium, was selected to host the 1994 World Cup finals. This year’s FIFA World Cup selection process was “the most competitive in history,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino told Fox Sports. Making sure the teams and the spectators don’t have a lot of travelling in the West, Central and Eastern parts of the country.” Four stadiums in Mexico and Canada have been chosen to host World Cup matches in the tournament: the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, the BBVA Bancomer Stadium in Monterrey, the Mexico City Stadium in Mexico City, and the BMO Field in Toronto (BC Place).
US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone called it a “historic day for U.S. Soccer and the entire American soccer community” in a statement. “From the grassroots to the professionals and our National Teams, this is a day of celebration for all of us,” she said. Together with our close friends in Canada and Mexico, we couldn’t be more enthusiastic about working with FIFA to host what we believe will be one of the greatest World Cups of all time.” I’d like to congratulate all of the cities who applied to host the games, and thank them for their efforts. “When the world comes to North America in four years, I believe you will all do an outstanding job of showcasing your world-class stadiums, distinct cities and cultures, and amazing supporters.””
Baltimore/Washington (M&T Bank Stadium), Orlando, Florida (Camping World Stadium), Cincinnati (Paul Brown Stadium), Nashville, Tennessee (Nissan Stadium), Denver (Empower Field at Mile High), and Edmonton (Edmonton Exhibition Centre) were all overlooked (Commonwealth Stadium).
Intense competition has characterised the procedure. Choosing only one was a challenging task for FIFA’s Chief Competitions & Events Officer, Colin Smith. “You can’t see a World Cup coming to the United States and the capital city not playing a huge part, as well.” Every city that was not selected for a match will be contacted by us. There are plenty of additional opportunities for collaboration, teamwork, and celebration. Fans on the National Mall know what they’re in for.”
More than half of the original “United 2026” games will be played here in the United States, with Mexico and Canada each getting a total of 10. Every game that has to be played in the quarterfinals and beyond will take place on American soil.
The selection process started in 2017 with 44 cities and 49 stadiums from around North America as contenders for the event. There was a request made of potential applicants to “provide information about each city’s transportation infrastructure, past experience hosting major sporting and cultural events,” which included possible training sites, base camps, and environmental protection initiatives as well as available accommodations.
Just a few months before United 2026’s candidacy to host the World Cup in 2026 was formally approved by FIFA, the number of North American bidders had been reduced to 23. Chicago, Minneapolis, and Arizona were omitted off the list because of concerns with FIFA’s financial demands, according to local authorities. In 2018, Charlotte, North Carolina was dropped off of the 23-venue list; Detroit; Las Vegas; Salt Lake City; and Tampa, Florida, were all omitted. After the provincial government withdrew its support in 2021, Vancouver, which had originally been eliminated because of issues over funding, finally replaced Montreal as the new host city.
On December 31, 2021, a FIFA delegation headed by CONCACAF President and FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani visited all of the potential host cities. FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, withdrew from the race and decided to combine with the Baltimore bid, which was revealed in April. A fan event was planned for the National Mall under the concept. As a result of the Rose Bowl’s omission, none of the 1994 men’s World Cup sites will be used for the 2026 edition.
New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area were among the nine 1994 host cities. Five additional cities were considered for the 2026 World Cup but did not make the cut. These five cities include Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City and the New Jersey tri state area. According to Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, “I believe it’s wider appeal from a position of Dallas than gaining hosting rights for a Super Bowl.” The more time I spend participating in sports, the more I understand how vital soccer is to our planet. Inspiring and amazing to be a part of something like this.
The Cotton Bowl was the site of World Cup games in 1994. Large-scale events were in the forefront of the Cowboys’ minds when they first considered constructing a new stadium. There have been various significant sporting events held at AT&T Stadium including the Super Bowl, the NCAA Final Four and the College Football Playoff Championship. As Jones said, “when we constructed the stadium, it was with the intention of having big, fantastic events.” The sport of American football wasn’t the only one affected.
“There are still some negotiations going on and we will undoubtedly select the finest cities there as well as for the opening and the final, but every match will be a final in this World Cup,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Chairman of the Dallas 2026 Committee and FC Dallas president Dan Hunt, on the other hand, had his own opinions regarding the stadium’s potential to host the World Cup final, which FIFA is anticipated to decide on in 2024. We’re aiming for the finals, Hunt remarked. We competed to accomplish this because of that.
To date, only Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca has hosted three World Cups, having also hosted the finals in 1970 and 1986. As a result, Mexico will become the first country to host or co-host three World Cups in men’s football. As a result of hosting the 1994 World Cup, Major League Soccer’s debut season began two years later, and the sport’s popularity skyrocketed.
There are still four major men’s professional sports leagues: Major League Baseball, NBA, NFL, and NHL. American football grounds, some of which currently employ artificial grass, will host several of the games in 2026. Grass will be used exclusively during the 2026 World Cup games. In spite of this, FIFA president Gianni Infantino believes the area is on the verge of a second soccer revolution.
“This section of the globe has no idea what is going to happen here in 2026,” he continues. Three nations would be “flipped upside down and then flipped back,” stated Infantino, the head of FIFA. It will be an invasion of love and enjoyment, because that is what football is about, that will sweep through Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
