FIFA reveals host cities and venues for 2026 World Cup

Geneva: FIFA has unveiled the 16 cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico that will host matches during the 2026 World Cup — the first time in history that three nations will co-host the international football championship.

“Stellar line-up of #WorldCup 2026 Host Cities unveiled,” FIFA, world football’s governing body, tweeted on Thursday.

Eleven US cities were selected, alongside three Mexican cities – Guadalajara, Monterrey and Mexico City – and two in Canada, Toronto and Vancouver.

In the US, matches will be played in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, and in the San Francisco Bay Area.

FIFA has not said which city will host the finals.

Thursday’s announcement was met with excitement from officials in the host cities, as well as from national football teams and associations in the three countries.

The 2026 tournament will mark the first time in FIFA’s history that three countries play host to the World Cup, which occurs every four years and is one of the most popular sporting events on earth.

The selection of the host cities comes just days after Costa Rica secured the final spot in the 2022 World Cup, with a victory over New Zealand on Tuesday.

The qualifying matches for the upcoming tournament, which will be held in Qatar, have been filled with drama and heartbreak.

Ukraine, reeling amid Russia’s continued invasion, had its hopes dashed in a defeat to Wales in early June, while Peru was knocked out by underdog Australia this week after losing on penalty kicks.