The 2026 World Cup will run in North America from June 11 to July 19.
Canada, Mexico and the United States will serve as join hosts for the expanded competition, which will feature 48 teams for the first time.
The majority of games will take place in the USA and the tournament marks another staging post in soccer's development in the country.
But will the victors in the final at MetLife Stadium be the first soccer world champions crowned on U.S soil?
Has USA hosted the World Cup before?
The USA has hosted the World Cup once before, in 1994.
That was the final tournament with the 24-team format used since 1986. FIFA then expanded to a 32-team competition that remained in place up to and including Qatar 2022.
Mexico has twice served as World Cup host, in 1970 and 1986, while this will be the first time Canada will stage matches in international football's biggest event.
Who won USA '94 World Cup?
Brazil won the World Cup at USA '94, ending a 24-year wait for their fourth success.
The Selecao became the first country to win the final via a penalty shootout when Italy stars Franco Baresi and Roberto Baggio erred at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena after 120 goalless minutes.
Italy (2006) and Argentina (2022) have since won the World Cup on penalties.
Brazil claimed a record fifth World Cup in Japan and South Korea in 2002. Their quest for number six will enter North America.
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Major soccer events held in the United States
Men's soccer events in the USA
The 2026 World Cup will be the third major soccer tournament held in the United States in the past three years.
In 2025, FIFA brought its expanded Club World Cup to the U.S, where Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain in the final at MetLife Stadium.
A year earlier, Argentina backed up their 2022 World Cup triumph by retaining the Copa America in the United States. That success marked a sharp contrast to the feeling of desolation when Lionel Messi's missed penalty contributed to a shoot-out defeat to Chile at the Copa America Centenario in 2016.
That tournament was the first major soccer competition staged in the U.S. Outside of the Gold Cup since the 1994 World Cup.
The USA has served as either the lone or co-host for all 18 editions of CONCACAF's regional tournament since the inaugural edition in 1991.
Women's soccer events in the USA
In 2024, the first CONCACAF W Gold Cup took place in the United States, with the home roster led by interim coach Twila Kilgore emerging victorious.
This competition is not to be confused with the CONCACAF W Championship, which was established like the men's Gold Cup in 1991. The U.S. Has hosted five of the 11 editions and co-hosted with Canada in 2002.
The women's game is responsible for the most iconic soccer moment on U.S. Soil, when Brandi Chastain smashed home the decisive penalty kick to sink China in the 1999 World Cup final at the Rose Bowl. The United States hosted the tournament once again four years later, when Germany beat Sweden in the final thanks to Nia Kunzer's golden goal.