The host cities for the 2026 World Cup come to light on Thursday, June 16.
A topic of heavy debate, cities and stadiums hosting games for the 2026 World Cup are in an unprecedented time. For that tournament, there are 48 teams, the most ever for the competition. Plus, this is the first time three countries combined to host one World Cup. Individually, Mexico and the United States each hosted at least one World Cup. On the other hand, Canada hosted the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
With more teams, there are more World Cup hosting venues. The belief is that there will be 16 host cities. A massive jump from the two, which is practically one, from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar centered around Doha. It is likely that Canada uses two cities, Mexico three and the United States rounds out the other 11.
There is debate as to which city would host the final. The most historically important stadium for soccer among the three countries is the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Pelé and Diego Maradona won World Cups in the hallowed ground in 1970 and 1986, respectively. However, the Rose Bowl also hosted a World Cup Final in 1994. Plus, the United States has a number of stadiums and cities with modern infrastructure and new designs.
Potential host cities for 2026 World Cup
Following that trend, each country submitted candidate cities. On June 16, FIFA reveals its picks from the following cities.
Stadiums must have a seating capacity of at least 40,000 to be accepted by FIFA.
You can vote using the poll below on which 16 venues you think should host the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. You can select up to 16 options. Remember, each of the following Mexican cities and two of the Canadian ones are likely to be selected by FIFA on June 16.
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Canada and Mexico
As stated previously, the likely outcome is to have three venues in Mexico, two in Canada and 11 in the United States. As seen in the table, the three from Mexico are already laid out. While Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca is relatively old, the two stadiums in Guadalajara and Monterrey will be constructed no more than 16 years prior to the World Cup. In fact, Estadio BBVA in Monterrey finished construction in 2015. It features one of the best views from a stadium in the world of soccer.
Vancouver hosted the 2015 Women’s World Cup Final at BC Place. However, Vancouver has been hesitant to host games for the men’s World Cup. City and Province officials were unsure how much they would have to contribute financially to host three to five games of the World Cup. However, Vancouver re-entered its name to help the area’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. In Canada, this likely means that BMO Field in Toronto and BC Place host World Cup games, as Edmonton is fairly remote compared to the other potential hosts.
United States
In the United States, the 11 winners are a toss up from the 16 listed. Orlando’s Camping World Stadium and the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles both hosted games in the 1994 World Cup, the only potential venues to do so. The Rose Bowl is a lock, as it is a potential host of the World Cup Final. At each stadium, artificial turf would be replaced by real grass, as is the FIFA standard. Therefore, MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and Dallas’s AT&T Stadium are also likely locks for the tournament. Similarly, Miami is a hub for entry from Central and South America, meaning it likely gets added to the host cities for the 2026 World Cup.
The reveal will have its winners and losers come June 16. Yet, the winning cities will have the go-ahead to begin preparations for welcoming hundreds of thousands of fans from around the world.
Live reveal of host venues
The 2026 World Cup is one the more anticipated here in the United States. Of course, much of that revolves around the country’s second time hosting the world’s biggest sporting event. However, it also comes at a time when the USMNT is showing serious signs of development and progression.
Many people will want to be near a World Cup hosting venue in order to watch the world’s best.
FIFA provides a live stream of the reveal as to which cities will host venues on June 16. Further information will become available as June 16 nears.
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