Several cities across the US, Mexico, and Canada had been competing for the right to host games in the 2026 World Cup, which was unveiled at a glittering ceremony in New York City.
FIFA’s original plan was for the United States to host 60 of the tournament’s 80 games, with Canada and Mexico each hosting 10 of the group stage contests. For the first time, there will be 48 teams participating in the competition. The vòng loại world cup 2022 may not be over, but people can’t help themselves look forward to the next.
Hosting the 2026 World Cup
2026 is set to have the first World Cup to feature 48 teams instead of the current 32, and it will be held in cities all around North America as you may have heard previously.
Although the host cities for the opening and knockout round games, including the semifinals and finals, have yet to be announced, this will serve as fodder for future lobbying efforts.
If a stadium does not already have a natural-grass pitch, it must install a layer of natural grass on top of it. Although five of the towns hosting the World Cup in 1994 were also the sites of games, none of the stadiums in those 5 cities were still around two decades ago.
Making the cut
The fact that Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, and San Francisco/Bay Area were handed games was not a surprise, as most estimates placed seven cities as locks before Thursday’s announcement.
Atlanta
FIFA sponsors Coca-Cola in Atlanta and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium has hosted a number of international friendly matches between MLS team Atlanta United and other international teams.
Dallas
With the financial clout of Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas is a frontrunner to host the championship game in 2026 at AT&T Stadium.
Los Angeles
Having hosted both the 1994 and 1999 World Cup finals, as well as other significant CONCACAF games and international matches involving both the club and national teams, Los Angeles’ candidacy for the 2016 Summer Olympics was never in doubt.
Miami
As a regular venue for international club football exhibitions, Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium was considered an excellent choice throughout the selection process and had the potential to become the ultimate host.
New York
MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, was an obvious choice for FIFA because it is so close to the world’s media hub. Big international exhibitions for Argentina and Brazil have taken place here on numerous occasions, including the 2016 Copa America Centenario final between Chile and Argentina.
According to reports, it is a major contender to organize the 2026 championship game after being identified directly as a potential host in FIFA’s initial bid book.
Philadelphia
As a result of local government and industry financial guarantees, Philadelphia’s campaign for the Olympic Games has gained steam in recent months.
Because of its proximity to major cities like New York and Toronto, it provides FIFA with a powerful cluster that will help reduce the number of times that teams will spend traveling during the tournament’s 48-team field.
San Francisco
Visa, a major FIFA sponsor, is located in the Bay Area, which helped the region’s candidacy. Aside from the Super Bowl and a College Football Playoff national championship game, Santa Clara, California’s Levi’s Stadium has played host to important marquee events in soccer and American football since it first opened.
Boston, Houston, Kansas City, and Seattle round up the remaining cities. Guadalajara and Monterrey are in Mexico, while Toronto and Vancouver are in Canada.
Final round-up
There were three visits to potential hosts by FIFA’s site inspection team. Football’s world governing body, FIFA, said it has taken into account the wide-ranging suggestions of each potential host city.
As a part of the bid, potential hosts were invited to find additional venues for supplementary events and to explain how they would address issues like sustainability and human rights.
FIFA representatives were given tours of possible training grounds in each city, as well as briefings about the city airport, accommodation possibilities, and more. There will be dozens of supplementary events in each city, including Fan Fests.
