The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the biggest ever edition of global soccer's flagship international tournament.
An expanded format features 48 teams for the first time, up from the 32-team model that has been in place for the past seven tournaments since France '98.
This increased scope meant the combined North American bid put forward by the United States, Canada and Mexico had an obvious appeal when it came before FIFA delegates.
There was ample capacity across the three sports-mad nations to find 16 host stadiums. Indeed, there are still some notable absences from the list of host cities.
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Which cities will host World Cup 2026?
The majority of matches will take place in the United States, which is hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1994. New York/New Jersey, Dallas (Arlington), Houston, Kansas City, Atlanta, Los Angeles (Inglewood), Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco (Santa Clara), Boston (Foxborough) and Miami (Miami Gardens) are the host cities.
Mexico has staged the World Cup twice previously as a sole host in 1970 and 1986. Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara will stage matches this time around.
It will be the first time any World Cup matches have taken place in Canada. Vancouver and Toronto are the locations in the spotlight.
List of World Cup 2026 stadiums
| Stadium | Capacity | City | Country | World Cup games |
| BC Place | 54,000 | Vancouver (BC) | Canada | 5x group matches; 1x RO32 |
| BMO Field | 45,500 | Toronto (ON) | Canada | 5x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x RO16 |
| Estadio Azteca | 87,523 | Mexico City | Mexico | 3x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x RO16 |
| Estadio BBVA | 53,500 | Monterrey | Mexico | 3x group matches; 1x RO32 |
| Estadio Akron | 46,232 | Guadalajara | Mexico | 4x group matches |
| MetLife Stadium | 82,500 | East Rutherford (NJ) | United States | 5x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x RO16; final |
| AT&T Stadium | 80,000 | Arlington (TX) | United States | 5x group matches; 2x RO32; 1x RO16; 1x semifinal |
| Arrowhead Stadium | 76,416 | Kansas City (MO) | United States | 4x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x quarterfinal |
| NRG Stadium | 72,220 | Houston (TX) | United States | 5x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x RO16 |
| Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 71,000 | Atlanta (GA) | United States | 5x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x RO16; 1x semifinal |
| SoFi Stadium | 70,240 | Inglewood (CA) | United States | 5x group matches; 2x RO32; 1x quarterfinal |
| Lincoln Financial Field | 69,796 | Philadelphia (PA) | United States | 5x group matches; 1x RO16 |
| Lumen Field | 69,000 | Seattle (WA) | United States | 4x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x RO16 |
| Levi's Stadium | 68,500 | Santa Clara (CA) | United States | 5x group matches; 1x RO32 |
| Gillette Stadium | 65,878 | Boston (MA) | United States | 5x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x quarterfinal |
| Hard Rock Stadium | 64,767 | Miami Gardens (FL) | United States | 4x group matches; 1x RO32; 1x quarterfinal; bronze-medal match |
Which cities missed out on hosting games?
That substantial list of host venues has been significantly reduced. In August 2017, the United Bid Committee published a list of 49 stadiums from 44 metropolitan areas across the three countries.
Five venues opted against submitting a bid to be included in the World Cup plans, while others were rejected during the first and second rounds of bidding.
During the process, some venues withdrew voluntarily, while seven were excluded from the final list in June 2022 — including the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Los Angeles, which hosted the 1994 World Cup final.
Venues in the initial 49 that did not submit a bid
| Stadium | Capacity | City | Country |
| McMahon Stadium | 35,400 | Calgary (AB) | Canada |
| Saputo Stadium | 20,801 | Montreal (QC) | Canada |
| Rogers Centre | 54,000 | Toronto (ON) | Canada |
| Lambeau Field | 81,441 | Green Bay (WI) | United States |
| Qualcomm Stadium | 70,561 | San Diego (CA) | United States |
Venues rejected in the 1st round
| Stadium | Capacity | City | Country |
| TD Place Stadium | 24,000 | Ottawa (ON) | Canada |
| Mosaic Stadium | 33,350 | Regina (SK) | Canada |
| Legion Field | 71,594 | Birmingham (AL) | United States |
| Huntington Bank Field | 67,895 | Cleveland (OH) | United States |
| Lucas Oil Stadium | 62,421 | Indianapolis (IN) | United States |
| EverBank Field | 69,132 | Jacksonville (FL) | United States |
| Caesars Superdome | 73,208 | New Orleans (LA) | United States |
| Acrisure Stadium | 69,690 | Pittsburgh (PA) | United States |
| Alamodome | 64,000 | San Antonio (TX) | United States |
Venues rejected in the 2nd round
| Stadium | Capacity | City | Country |
| Bank of America Stadium | 75,525 | Charlotte (NC) | United States |
| Cotton Bowl | 92,100 | Dallas (TX) | United States |
| Ford Field | 65,000 | Detroit (MI) | United States |
| Allegiant Stadium | 72,000 | Las Vegas (NV) | United States |
| Memorial Coliseum | 93,607 | Los Angeles (CA) | United States |
| State Farm Stadium | 63,400 | Glendale (AZ) | United States |
| Rice-Eccles Stadium | 53,609 | Salt Lake City (UT) | United States |
| Raymond James Stadium | 65,890 | Tampa (FL) | United States |
Venues that withdrew voluntarily
| Stadium | Capacity | City | Country |
| Olympic Stadium | 54,000 | Montreal (QC) | Canada |
| U.S. Bank Stadium | 66,655 | Minneapolis (MN) | United States |
| Soldier Field | 61,500 | Chicago (IL) | United States |
| Northwest Stadium | 62,000 | Landover (MD) | United States |
Venues excluded from the final list
| Stadium | Capacity | City | Country |
| Commonwealth Stadium | 56,302 | Edmonton (AL) | Canada |
| M&T Bank Stadium | 71,006 | Baltimore (MD) | United States |
| Paycor Stadium | 65,515 | Cincinnati (OH) | United States |
| Empower Field at Mile High | 76,125 | Denver (CO) | United States |
| Rose Bowl | 92,000 | Pasadena (CA) | United States |
| Nissan Stadium | 69,143 | Nashville (TN) | United States |
| Camping World Stadium | 60,219 | Orlando (FL) | United States |