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 Twitter account for the US men’s national team responded with an ecstatic, “LET’S GOOOOO!!!!!” shortly after the announcement. “To have a World Cup in this country is going to be amazing, Christian Pulisic, the team’s 23-year-old star, also said.
“To have [a World Cup] in this country is going to be amazing.”
— @cpulisic_10🎥 @FOXSoccer pic.twitter.com/BNHcmfZ4bq
— USMNT (@USMNT) June 16, 2022
Philadelphia, located in Pulisic’s home state of Pennsylvania, is one of the 11 US host cities. “I’ve played in Philadelphia a couple of times and it’s an amazing city, and being from Pennsylvania myself, that’s really terrific,” he said about the selection.
The mayor of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum, reacted to the news by tweeting, “The World Cup returns to the city!”
“I can’t wait to welcome fans and players to our city!” Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart also said on Twitter. “And I know we’re especially looking forward to cheering on the Canadian Men’s National Team for the first time ever on home soil!”
Canada Soccer President Nick Bontis congratulated Toronto and Vancouver for being selected and thanked Edmonton, which had vied to host matches, for putting together its bid. “The competition for venue selection was the most robust in FIFA’s history,” Bontis said in a statement.
¡La @fifaworldcup_es regresa a la Ciudad! El Estadio Azteca será sede de la Copa del Mundo 2026
Somos la ciudad que más partidos mundiales ha alojado en la historia, 23; y el @EstadioAzteca también, pues aquí se han disputado 19 partidos mundialistas#LaCiudadQueLoTieneTodo⚽
1/2 pic.twitter.com/fNgXNhKZBJ— Claudia Sheinbaum (@Claudiashein) June 16, 2022
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.
