Getty Images MetLife Stadium in New Jersey is expected to host the 2026 World Cup final.
- FIFA awarded the 2026 World Cup to the joint bid between the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
- Of the 80 matches, 60 will be played in the U.S. while Canada and Mexico will each host ten.
- Canada and Mexico have already cemented their three host cities while the U.S. has listed 17 cities that will be cut down to 10 to host matches.
North American won a joint bid to host the 2026 World Cup bid on Wednesday.
The 2026 World Cup will be hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, with the U.S. hosting 60 of the 80 matches. FIFA will expand the number of teams from 32 to 48 nations by that time.
Canada and Mexico have already named its three host cities. Matches in Mexico will be played in Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara; games in Canada will be played in Toronto, Montreal, and Edmonton, according to Pro Soccer Talk.
The U.S. has submitted 17 cities to host matches, but that list will be narrowed down to 10 by 2021. Thus far, cities in contention to host are New York/New Jersey, Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Denver, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Nashville, Orlando, San Francisco/San Jose, and Cincinnati.
Each U.S. city would host at least five matches.
According to Yahoo, the bid called for each of the three host nations to play in the opening matches. It is expected that all three nations will automatically qualify, but that has not been made official.
A mock schedule (via Yahoo) even planned when and where some matches would take place. For instance, Los Angeles may host the U.S. opener, Dallas is mentioned as a candidate to host the semifinals, while the final match is expected to take place in Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside of New York City.
Some big-name cities also opted out of hosting, including Chicago, Minneapolis, Tampa, and Vancouver, B.C., citing uncertainty over cost.
It's unclear at the moment how travel will shake out and how far teams will have to travel for matches.