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Soccer

World Cup 2026 host cities announced; U.S. leads the way

World Cup 2026 host cities announced; U.S. leads the wayGetty
The 2026 World Cup might be four years away, but soccer fans already know what cities will host the most-watched global sporting event. 

On Thursday afternoon, FIFA announced the 16 North American cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico for the 2026 edition in the 48-team field. It will be the first time in history that three countries will host the World Cup.

The cities and venues that were selected to host the World Cup in the U.S. are: New York/New Jersey (MetLife Stadium); Los Angeles (SoFi Stadium); Dallas (AT&T Stadium); San Francisco Bay Area (Levi's Stadium); Miami (Hard Rock Stadium); Atlanta (Mercedes-Benz Stadium); Seattle (Lumen Field); Houston (NRG Stadium); Philadelphia (Lincoln Financial Field); Kansas City, Mo. (Arrowhead Stadium); and Boston (Gillette Stadium).

A notable absence is the Rose Bowl, which hosted the 1994 World Cup, as SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles was instead chosen.

"It was the most competitive process ever for the FIFA World Cup," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said during the selection show. "We will be working in clusters, making sure that the teams and the fans don't have to travel too much in different areas: West, Central, and East."

The cities picked in Mexico were Guadalajara (Estadio Akron), Monterrey (Estadio BBVA Bancomer), and Mexico City (Estadio Azteca). In Canada, Toronto (BMO Field) and Vancouver (BC Place) were selected. 

The 2026 World Cup will feature 60 games in the United States, with ten each in Canada and Mexico, respectively. When the tournament reaches the quarterfinals, all remaining games will be held in the U.S.