The 2026 World Cup stadiums in North America are divided into sixteen venues and just as many host cities. On June 16, 2022, the remained amount of 22 candidate stadiums have officially been reduced to a total number of sixteen final stadiums and match locations, across the Western, Central and Eastern region. 11 of which are in the United States, 2 are in Canada, and the remaining 3 stadiums are located in Mexico.
2026 WORLD CUP STADIUMS / VENUES
AS ANNOUNCED ON JUNE 16, 2022:
Western Region:
• BC Place Stadium (Vancouver) CANADA
• Lumen Field (Seattle) USA
• Levi’s Stadium (San Francisco Bay Area) USA
• SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles) USA
• Estadio Akron (Guadalajara) MEXICO
Central Region:
• Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City) USA
• AT&T Stadium (Dallas) USA
• Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta) USA
• NRG Stadium (Houston) USA
• BBVA Bancomer Stadium (Monterrey) MEXICO
• Azteca Stadium (Mexico City) MEXICO
Eastern Region:
• BMO Field (Toronto) CANADA
• Gillette Stadium (Boston) USA
• Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) USA
• Hard Rock Stadium (Miami) USA
• MetLife Stadium (New York/New Jersey) USA
ORIGINAL INFORMATION:
The World Cup stadiums in the USA, Canada and Mexico have an average seating capacity of over 68,000. They will host a total of 48 teams playing 80 104 matches.
The stadiums of the three host countries will host 60 matches in the United States, 10 in Canada and 10 in Mexico. The United States has been allocated 34 group matches, and both Canada and Mexico have 7 each. There are 12 x round of 32 matches for the United States, 2 for Canada and 2 for Mexico. The United States will host six matches in the round of 16, and the other two host countries will both have one match each. The quarterfinals, semifinals and finals will be held in the stadiums in the US.
March 14, 2023: due to the change of format from sixteen pools of three to twelve pools of four, the original match division of the host nations will be changed. Now a total of 104 matches have to be distributed.
Note: The above and below information is part of the BID United and is subject to change.
Opening match, semifinals and final
The opening game will take place on Sunday, May 31, 2026 either at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles or at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, subject to change. Update, June 16, 2022: Rose Bowl has not been selected as a host city. The intended venues for the semifinals are the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and the AT&T Stadium in Dallas. The proposed location for the 2026 World Cup final, Sunday, July 19, 2026, is the MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey.
Ultramodern stadiums, ultramodern features
An important feature of the stadiums that may be used during the 2026 World Cup is that they are already operational and very modern, or even ultramodern in many cases. No new stadiums need to be built, and relatively few modifications or other adjustments are necessary. Matters such as comfort, Wi-Fi, LED, light shows and many other elements that significantly increase the entertainment value are already a well-integrated part of these advanced stadiums. The same applies to environmental requirements, such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. In terms of logistics and infrastructure, only minor adjustments are needed at most.
Existing stadiums, rich history and legacy ‘assured’
With regard to the so-called ‘legacy’, it appears that efficiency is also guaranteed: the stadiums will continue to be used intensively long after the World Cup has ended. This is already currently the case for both football matches and other major North American sports. In recent decades, the cities and stadiums planned for the 2026 World Cup have gained a great deal of experience by hosting major sports matches and other major (cultural and music) events. Some were even the setting for the FIFA World Cup in 1970 and 1986 (both in Mexico), 1994 (United States), and the women’s soccer World Cup in 2005 (Canada). Want to know more? View the info for each stadium.
