HeadLine: FIFA announced on Sunday that New York will host the final match of the 2026 World Cup, marking the eagerly awaited return of the tournament to the United States over two years from now.
Key Facts:
- The opening match is scheduled for June 11, 2026, in Mexico City, with Canada’s first match set for June 12, 2026, in Toronto, and the United States’ initial match on the same day in Los Angeles.
- The bronze medal final will be held in Miami, while the semi-final games are slated for Atlanta and Dallas.
- The entire tournament will unfold across 16 locations in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with the quarterfinal games taking place in Kansas City, Boston, Los Angeles, and Miami.
- Dallas will host the highest number of matches, totaling nine, among the 16 selected cities.
- MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, were rumored favorites, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino visiting both venues last year.
Tangent: All 11 U.S. stadiums designated for the 2026 tournament are used for NFL games, necessitating adjustments to accommodate soccer matches. MetLife and AT&T Stadium, among others, will replace artificial turf with grass. Some stadiums will also alter their field size to meet FIFA’s 75-by-115 yard requirement for World Cup games. MetLife Stadium, for example, plans to remove 1,740 seats to widen its field.
Key Background: The tournament, featuring over 100 games, will unfold at 16 locations, including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver. The last time the U.S. hosted World Cup games was in 1994, with the final held at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California. Canada is hosting the World Cup for the first time, while it is Mexico’s third time.