The 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup is only a year away, and expectations are understandably high. Some countries are close to getting their tickets, while others still hope the impossible will happen.
According to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, the 16 hosting cities will “lift the global mood” come next year. Charging representatives of the 16 cities to make the event a memorable one for fans, the FIFA boss stressed that the World Football Fiesta is poised to write new histories in 2026. The USMNT coach, Gregg Berhalter believes that “All the stadiums are going to be great, all the fans and the support is going to be great and it will be an amazing World Cup.”
While we don’t know all the teams that will qualify yet, one thing is sure: three North American countries have been selected to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. These three countries have also automatically qualified for the Mundial because they are the hosts.
Looking for where the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held?
The United States, Mexico, and Canada are the three countries co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Notable cities in these countries with FIFA-rated stadiums will welcome players and fans from almost every corner of the earth. The opening game will take place in Mexico City, while the US will host the 2026 World Cup final.
Evelyn Balyton, a sports analyst monitoring developments about the 2026 World Cup argues that football prediction is expected to reach an all-time high when the World Cup takes center stage next year. Because of this, many bookmakers, like Jiliko Legit in the Philippines, which MightyTips reports on, and others, will offer more soccer games to players for fun and exciting wins. Fans and betting players should always confirm the legitimacy of whatever bookmaker they patronize.
How many cities will host the 2026 World Cup games?
FIFA has announced that 16 cities will host the 2026 World Cup. Of these, 11 are from the United States, Mexico has three, and Canada has two. By this arrangement, the US is the biggest host. It could have easily hosted the tournament alone, but the expansion in the number of participating teams makes co-hosting with another country an excellent idea.
World Cup 2026 host cities and venues in the United States, Mexico and Canada
United States
As mentioned, 11 cities across the United States have been selected as venues for different matches in the 2026 tournament. This makes the US the major host while Canada and Mexico are supporting hosting nations. These American cities and their venues are briefly highlighted below.
New York
The New York New Jersey stadium (Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford) is the venue for the 2026 World Cup final announced by FIFA. The stadium can accommodate over 82,000 fans and has youthful football fans and players. The iconic stadium opened in 2010 and is located in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It will host six other matches, apart from the final.
Dallas
The AT&T Stadium in Dallas, located in Arlington, Texas, is the venue for the men’s World Cup. With a 94,000-capacity, this stadium is undoubtedly a premium one. It will host nine out of the 104 matches scheduled for the tournament.
Atlanta
Dubbed “The city in the forest,” Atlanta is super excited to welcome thousands of football lovers to its iconic Mercedes-Benz stadium. Apart from the semi-final scheduled for this venue on July 15, the stadium, located in Atlanta, Georgia, will also host seven more matches.
Los Angeles
Only two U.S. cities—Los Angeles and Atlanta—have hosted the FIFA World Cup and Summer Olympic Games. The SoFi stadium, which opened in September 2020, is the venue for the World Cup matches in LA. It has a capacity of 70,000 and is located in Inglewood, California.
Seattle
Right in Seattle Washington, the Lumen Field will host six of the 104 matches in the 2026 World Cup finals. The stadium’s capacity is 69,000, and it opened on July 28, 2002.
Boston
Located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the Gillette stadium is a 65,000-capacity facility, which will hold the 2026 World Cup finals, including one of the round 32 knockout matches.
Houston
The NRG stadium in Houston will host 7 matches, including one round of 16 knockout and one round of 32. It has a 65,000 capacity.
Kansas City
The venue for the World Cup matches slated for Kansas City is the Arrowhead Stadium located at the Truman Sports Complex in Missouri. It is a 73,000
Miami
Named the Hard Rock Stadium, the Miami stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida is a 65,000-capacity facility. It will host 7 matches
Philadelphia
From June 14 to July 4, 2026, the prestigious Lincoln Financial Field stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with its 69,000 capacity, will host football fans and players for six out of the 104 matches of the tournament.
San Francisco
FIFA announced San Francisco’s Levi’s Stadium as the hosting venue for the 2026 World Cup in that city. The stadium, located in Santa Clara, San Francisco Bay Area, California, boasts a capacity of 71,000
Mexico
Three Mexican cities will host the World Cup next year, and one of them is the venue for the opening match and ceremonies. The hosting cities revealed by FIFA are:
- Guadalajara: Located in Zapopan, Estadio Guadalajara is an eye-catching stadium with a capacity of 48,000. Four matches, including Mexico’s second group stage match, are scheduled to hold here.
- Mexico City: The 83,000-capacity Estadio Azteca is the stadium to host the opening match on June 11, 2026. This opening fixture will be the third of its kind to be held by Estadio Azteca, making it the first stadium to host three World Cup opening matches.
- Monterrey: Estadio Monterrey is in Guadalupe and has a capacity of 53,000. It will host four out of the 104 games, including one of Mexico’s opening fixtures.
Canada
Toronto and Vancouver are the only two Canadian cities to host matches in the 2026 global football fiesta. Below are the details of the stadiums
- Toronto: BMO Field with the capacity of over 45,000 is the Canadian stadium in Toronto to host the 2026 World Cup. It is an ever-bubbling arena renowned for its amazing fireworks and enthusiastic fans. This is the stadium where the national team of Canada will play their first match.
- Vancouver: BC Place in Vancouver is a beautiful stadium with 7,500 miles of open sky. It will be the venue for seven matches, two of which will be Canada’s home games.
Conclusion
Based on Fox Business forecast, “The host cities can expect $5 billion in economic impact, according to a 2018 study when the three countries were vying for the tournament.”
Also, with 48 teams now featuring in the next World Cup, it is by far the most inclusive since the inception of the tournament. Also, this World Cup will be the first to have three nations hosting it. The cities and stadiums hosting all the matches are exciting places to visit and explore.