FIFA World Cup 2026 will be staged in three different countries in North America and now all the cities have finally been confirmed to host those matches.
While there were some expected venues like Vancouver, Mexico City and Miami, the capital of the United States missed out as FIFA confirmed the 16 cities to host the games on Thursday.
Washington, D.C being snubbed is significant as it was one of nine venues for the 1994 World Cup, the last time the U.S. hosted the global mega-event.
FIFA’s President Gianni Infantino declared the selection process to be the most competitive for cities’ bids for hosting World Cup matches.
It’s been an incredibly competitive process. All the cities have been amazing. This was a very, very difficult choice,” FIFA’s Chief Competitions & Events Officer Colin Smith told reporters on Thursday.
After the arduous process, 16 Cities have been chosen by FIFA for the 2026 World Cup which will take place in three countries in USA, Canada, and Mexico.
11 of the venues chosen are in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first tournament hosted by three nations and also the first that will expand to 48 teams in the competition.
The cities officially selected to host World Cup matches in the U.S. are New York/New Jersey (MetLife Stadium); Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium); Dallas (AT&T Stadium); San Francisco Bay Area (Levi’s Stadium); Miami (Hard Rock Stadium); Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium); Seattle (Lumen Field); Houston (NRG Stadium); Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field); Kansas City, Missouri (Arrowhead Stadium); and Boston (Gillette Stadium).
The cities officially selected to host World Cup matches in Mexico and Canada are Guadalajara (Estadio Akron), Monterrey (Estadio BBVA Bancomer), Mexico City (Estadio Azteca), Toronto (BMO Field), and Vancouver (BC Place).
The preparation for the global event will begin as soon as the World Cup in Qatar comes to an end in December.
