World Cup 2026: It’s only been mere months since France’s victory in Luzhniki stadium, and football fever hasn’t died down. Fans are ready for the winter installment of the World Cup 2022 in Qatar and even further, the World Cup 2026! Several Iconic Stadiums Were Built Specifically to Host Such Major Events.
Where Will The 2026 World Cup Be Held?
The United States will be hosting the World Cup 2026. The winning joint bid does not include the United States on its own but encompasses North America as a whole. The United bid for the World Cup 2026 involves Canada, Mexico, and the United States. With the U.S. at the forefront, FIFA is surveying the options of stadiums in all three countries.
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The matches in both Canada and Mexico will take place at three sites each, but the U.S. is bearing most of the hosting process since it is set to host in ten sites. In total, there will be 80 games, 20 of which will be equally divided between Canada and Mexico, while the remaining 60 will all be hosted by the U.S. Starting from the quarterfinals; the games are only going to be held in the U.S. By submitting a list of 17 stadiums, the U.S hopes to get ahead of the selection process and get approvals. Canada and Mexico have submitted their 3 choices each. These choices will likely receive approvals. However, the U.S. will need to narrow down its choices to 10.
Here’s our ranking of the World Cup 2026 venues selected by each of the three countries:
Which Cities Will Host The 2026 World Cup? ‘2026 World Cup Cities’
Canada Rankings of the World Cup 2026:-
1. BMO Field, Toronto
via usatoday.com
Capacity: 30,000 (expandable to 45,000)
BMO field is dead last in our ranking just because its capacity is the lowest of the bunch. It is true that the football field has undergone some serious expansions with more seatings added to its East Grand Stand, but is that enough to make it into a full-fledged stadium? We are doubtful.
Also read:- Qatar World Cup Stadiums: When Affection Meets the Beauty of Architecture
2. Olympic Stadium, Montreal
via: sinoramabus.com
Capacity: 61,004 (expandable to 73,000)
This stadium’s archaic design makes it a questionable choice for Canada, especially since it was supposed to have a retractable roof back in the ’70s when it opened. Unfortunately, the roof could never be opened and when the retractable roof was finally constructed, the wire snapped. Now the Olympic stadium is facing several damages and will have to have to get its roof fixed and fully functioning before the World Cup 2026.
3. Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton
Via WinterE229
Capacity: 56,302 (expandable to 63,000)
This is probably the best of Canada’s three proposed venues since it is no stranger to hosting world cups, having hosted the 2015 Fifa Women’s World Cup in addition to a number of miscellaneous sporting events. That being said, the field will need to be renovated since the field is also being used for American Football which can definitely cause some wear and tear to the grass.
Mexico Rankings:
1. Estadio Akron, Guadalajara
via stadiumdb.com
Capacity: 46, 232
This stadium hasn’t had the best of luck since its opening in 2010. For one thing, the stadium took too long to build and was supposed to open in 2004, but because of financial constraints, it opened six years later. To top that off, the stadium barely holds 50, 000 people and has the smallest capacity of all the other stadiums on this list. Visually, having the stadium on a hill is an interesting choice, but many are criticizing the interior of the stadium as being lackluster.
2. Estadio BBVA Bancomer, Monterrey
Via EFE/Miguel Sierra
Capacity: 53,500
It’s no wonder this stadium holds the nickname ‘The Steel Giant’. Global architectural firm Populous led the design of Estadio BBVA. What makes this stadium great is the fact that the distance between the field and the seats fulfill the minimum requirements by FIFA. This means that the seats are really close to where all the action is happening. Additionally, the stadium makes use of its green areas by collecting rainwater to charge aquifers.
3. Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Via Jymlii Manzo
Capacity: 87,523
Only a few can forget Maradona’s ‘La Mano de Dios’ or ‘Hand of God’ shot in the 1986 World Cup, and Azteca stadium was witness to that momentous occasion. Naturally, it would be hard to overlook this choice because it holds so much history for football fans. And since it has already hosted two world cup finals, it is expected to be a strong contender for hosting the 2026 World Cup final as well.
The U.S. Rankings:
We expect these 10 cities to be in the front running.
1. Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco
via fortune.com
(Capacity: 68,500 expandable to 75,000)
Levi’s Stadium has had several issues with its field, but it would be remiss to exclude the San Francisco community. The bay city is great from a touristic standpoint, and despite its grassy troubles, the stadium has hosted a multitude of events.
2. Fed-ex Field, Washington D.C.
via cbssports.com
(Capacity: 82,000)
This stadium isn’t a fan favorite, but the nice large field and the fact that it is positioned in the nation’s capital make it one of the U.S. top ten choices. There are some rumors that a special stadium will be built to replace Fed-ex Field, but that seems highly unlikely.
3. NRG Stadium, Houston
Via LoneStarMike
(Capacity: 71,795 expandable to 72,220)
NRG stadium is likely in the running since it hosted the Superbowl in 2004. Another reason that makes Houston a solid contender is the fact that the stadium has a retractable roof. This will be useful as the World Cup 2026 will be held in the summer.
4. Hardrock Stadium, Miami
via stadiumsofprofootball.com
(Capacity: 64,767 expandable to 67,518)
With two world series and a total of five Superbowls under its belt, the Hardrock stadium won’t be a tough choice for FIFA; especially since Miami is home to a variety of ethnicities making it an inclusive cultural hub.
5. Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
via curbedatlanta.com
(Capacity: 71,000)
The appeal of this stadium lies in the fact that it has an air-conditioned interior. The city is gaining popularity as a soccer city, and its strategic position downtown makes it a choice that is hard to ignore. The stadium will need to add temporary grass to accommodate the soccer matches since the field is fitted out for American football at the moment.
6. CenturyLink Field, Seattle
via twitter.com
(Capacity: 69,000 expandable to 72,000)
The Emerald city might seem like an odd choice amongst the others, but Seattle is actually the United States’ main soccer destination. The city as a whole takes soccer very seriously with even local establishments making events out of soccer matches. FIFA is likely to pick CenturyLink Field because its particular design allows it to amplify sound. Also, louder crowds can make for interesting viewing on T.V.
7. Gilette Stadium, Boston
Via Flikr user Art01852
(Capacity: 65,878 expandable to 70,000)
Though Boston hasn’t been the most welcoming to international players, the city still holds global significance. There is also the fact that it hosted World Cup games in 1994, which makes it a staple on the list. But what really solidifies this choice is the fact that Robert Kraft, owner of the stadium, is acting as honorary chairman for the North American bid for the World Cup 2026. Kraft will likely want to see his own stadium on the list of choices.
8. AT&T Stadium, Dallas
Via Flickr/Nicole Cordeiro
(Capacity: 80,000)
A retractable roof, a massive video screen, along a host of other facilities make the AT&T stadium the obvious choice. Coupled with the fact that Dallas has the ability to host international audiences and is a bustling metropolis in itself, make this city a strong contender. Dallas’ position in the south also makes it close to audiences in Mexico who can make their way to the U.S. matches with ease.
9. Metlife Stadium, New York
Via Anthony Quintano
(Capacity: 82,500 expandable to 87,157)
Although Metlife stadium is positioned outside New York City, it is still an all too important choice for international audiences. It’s probably not expected to hold the final of the World Cup 2026 but will likely host the semifinals since its predecessor (built on the same land)—Giant’s Stadium, hosted the semifinals in 1994.
10. The Rose Bowl, Los Angeles
Via Stephen Kallin
(Capacity: 92,000)
The Rose Bowl was the site of the World Cup final in 1994. This choice is a no-brainer along with the fact that the Rose Bowl has the largest capacity out of all the choices. There is some speculation of a new stadium in Inglewood taking the spotlight from this fan favorite, but this will have to happen before 2026.
