Skip to main content

World Cup 2026 Is Officially Coming to the U.S., Mexico, and Canada

2018-World-Cup-Mexico-Chicharito
Hector Vivas/Stringer/Getty Images

The World Cup is, hands down, one of the most popular sporting events on the planet. Every four years, countries come together in the spirit of sportsmanship to play on the pitch — and, in 2026, those teams will be meeting in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

FIFA approved the United Bid submitted by the three North American nations on June 13, one day before the 2018 World Cup kicks off (pun intended) in Russia.

Related Videos

The decision by FIFA — aka the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, the governing body of the World Cup — is monumental for a variety of reasons. Not only is this first time that three countries have hosted a World Cup simultaneously (and the first time the event has come to North America in 32 years), but the format will be expanded from 32 teams to include 48 teams.

“Hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup is a rare and important moment to demonstrate that we are all truly united through sport,” said Carlos Cordeiro, president of U.S. Soccer and co-chair of the United Bid, in a statement.

“We are grateful for the chance to bring to life FIFA’s new vision for the future of football,” added Decio de Maria, president of Mexico Football Federation and fellow co-chair. “Together … we will use this platform to unite the world around football and help create a new and sustainable blueprint for the future of FIFA World Cups”

The United Bid highlights 23 candidate cities and proposed stadiums to hold the matches, of which there will be 80. Most of the potential hosts are located in the United States, but Mexico and Canada pitched (pun also intended) three locations each: Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara and Montreal, Edmonton, and Toronto, respectively. Where exactly the games will be played has yet to be decided, but the American contenders include:

  • Atlanta, Georgia (Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
  • Baltimore, Maryland (M&T Bank Stadium)
  • Boston, Massachusetts (Gillette Stadium)
  • Cincinnati, Ohio (Paul Brown Stadium)
  • Dallas, Texas (AT&T Stadium)
  • Denver, Colorado (Sports Authority Field, aka Mile High Stadium)
  • Houston, Texas (NRG Stadium)
  • Kansas City, Missouri (Arrowhead Stadium)
  • Los Angeles, California (Rose Bowl)
  • Miami, Florida (Hard Rock Stadium)
  • Nashville, Tennessee (Nissan Stadium)
  • New York City, New York (MetLife Stadium)
  • Orlando, Florida (Camping World Stadium)
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Lincoln Financial Field
  • San Francisco, California (Levi’s Stadium)
  • Seattle, Washington (CenturyLink Field)
  • Washington, D.C. (FedExField)

World Cup 2026 can’t come soon enough, but thankfully we’ve World Cup 2018 in Russia and World Cup 2022 in Qatar to hold us over until then. Who are you rooting for this year?

Editors' Recommendations

Watch Carabao Cup Final 2021: Man City vs Tottenham Live Stream
watch carabao cup final man city vs spurs live stream tottenham hotspur v manchester  premier league

At 11.30 AM ET/8.30 AM PT, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, aka Man City vs. Tottenham, meet in the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley. It's set to be quite the match with the two sides both keen to lift the trophy at the end of the match. The big game is being broadcast through sports streaming service ESPN+ in the U.S.

The last time that Man City and Tottenham met was as part of the Premier League with Man City thrashing the London-based side 3-0 in February. With both reaching the final of the Carabao Cup though, there's all to play for. Arguably, Man City has had a harder time qualifying, having met Manchester United in the semi-finals and Arsenal in the quarter-finals, compared to Tottenham's semi-final pairing with Brentford, and its quarter-final tie with Stoke City, but at this stage, it doesn't really matter, with both sides making it to the end of the tournament.

Read more
Brandi Chastain Wants to Get People Talking About Women’s Sports and Keep the Conversation Going Forever
Brandi Chastain Bay Area Pride FC

Earlier this summer, a statue was erected outside the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California depicting the iconic moment former U.S. Women's National Team member Brandi Chastain whipped off her jersey and fell to her knees, arms raised and fists clenched in unbridled joy. She had just scored a point for Team USA, clenching victory in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup before a crowd of 90,000-plus in attendance and millions watching around the world. The statue commemorates one of the most famed moments in sports, one of the first sporting photos to go viral. Chastain's image was plastered across newspapers, magazines, and the still-fledgling Internet.

Four years later, in 2003, America again won the Women's World Cup. And 20 years after that watershed 1999 victory, they secured the 2019 title as well. For a while, all eyes of the sporting world were on these superlative athletes.

Read more
Enjoy a High Level of Service at 10 One-of-a-Kind Marijuana Dispensaries in the U.S.
best marijuana dispensaries us harvest cannabis shopv2

Pot culture has come a long way since the days of pseudo-Rastafarian head shops, Cypress Hill’s puerile glamorization of weed in the '90s (see also "Hits from the Bong"), and the High Times monthly centerfold. Credit the mainstreaming of marijuana and the massive influx of cash that legalization has brought to dispensaries in almost a dozen U.S. states. Now, many are pouring their profits into legit product research, high-end retail designs, and “green glove service” for a more discerning clientele. These 10 marijuana dispensaries across the United States, in particular, offer unique customer experiences to match their one-of-a-kind, designer storefronts.
The High Expedition
Talkeetna, Alaska

Two hours north of Anchorage, in the tiny mountain town of Talkeetna, Alaska (population: 876) lies The High Expedition. It’s no doubt the most remote dispensary on this list. The rustic, log-cabin storefront feels more like an old-timey general store with only a “Cannabis Purveyors” sign on the outside to hint at the building’s true nature. The building is steeped in history as it served as the home of famed mountain climber Ray Genet who perished on Everest in 1979. Today, a modest museum inside the store commemorates his life and and the mountaineering achievements of others. It’s difficult to imagine a more appropriately “Alaskan” dispensary.
Planet 13
Las Vegas, Nevada

Read more