FIFA announces 2026 World Cup venues across U.S., Canada and Mexico

Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle and Kansas City were the newcomers among the 11 U. S. cities picked to host 2026 FIFA World Cup matches

The 16 cities of the first World Cup spread across three nations were revealed, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino made a bold statement summing up the goal of the 2026 tournament, to be played largely in the United States.

“By 2026, soccer — or football — will be the No. 1 sport in this part of the world,” he proclaimed.

Roughly four years before football’s showcase comes to the U. S., Mexico and Canada, there already were winners and losers Thursday: Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle and Kansas City, Missouri, were among the cities picked after missing out on hosting the 1994 tournament.

Baltimore, Cincinnati, Denver, Nashville, Tennessee, and Orlando, Florida, missed the cut.

Eleven U. S. stadiums were taken, all from the NFL. Arlington, Texas; East Rutherford, New Jersey; Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Inglewood and Santa Clara, California, were holdover areas from the 1994 tournament that boosted football's American prominence.

Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, which hosted the 1970 and ’86 finals, will become the first stadium in three World Cups, selected along with Guadalajara’s Estadio Akron and Monterrey’s Estadio BBVA.

Toronto’s BMO Field and Vancouver, British Columbia’s BC Place were picked for Canada's first time hosting, while Edmonton, Alberta’s Commonwealth Stadium was dropped.