Less than a year remains until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will take place between June and July across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Donald Trump addressed the upcoming tournament, raising the possibility of major changes in how the event is organized.
During a conversation with reporters in the Oval Office, the president of the United States expressed his focus on avoiding any unwanted incidents during the tournament, which is why he is not ruling out modifying some of the previously confirmed host cities.
“It will be safe for the World Cup. If I think it isn’t safe, we’ll move it into a different city,” Trump said, according to the BBC. “If any city we think is going to be even a little bit dangerous for the World Cup, or for the Olympics, but for the World Cup in particular, because they’re playing in so many cities, we won’t allow it to go. We’ll move it around a little bit.”
This is no small matter. The host cities for the 2026 World Cup have been confirmed for quite some time, and it’s highly unusual for such significant changes to be made so close to the start of the competition.
Christian Pulisic is the main star of the USMNT.
The host cities for the 2026 World Cup
With an expanded format of 48 teams for the first time in history, the next World Cup will also be the first edition hosted across three different countries. The only comparable precedent was in 2002, when Japan and South Korea jointly organized the tournament.
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The United States will host 75% of the matches—78 out of 104. In total, eleven American cities will stage World Cup games: New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia, Kansas City, Atlanta, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Francisco. The final will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Mexico and Canada, meanwhile, will each host 13 matches. The selected cities are Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Toronto, and Vancouver. It’s worth noting that all three host nations will play their group stage matches on home soil.
When does the 2026 World Cup start?
The opening match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 will take place on June 11. On that day, Mexico will make their tournament debut at Estadio Azteca, facing an opponent to be determined during the draw on December 5 of this year, in Washington.
From that moment on, the group stage matches will be played through June 27. Once the 32 teams advancing to the knockout stages are determined, the round of 32 will begin on June 29 and continue until the final, scheduled for July 19.
