FIFA has announced the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The US will host 60 of the 80 matches in the tournament, including every game from the quarter-finals onwards. Canada and Mexico will host 10 matches each.
Cities were announced in the West, East and Central zones at a ceremony in New York on Thursday.
LET’S GOOOOOOO!!!!!
@Soccer World Cup 2026 Host venues! pic.twitter.com/KQ5bWqR3Gk
— USMNT (@USMNT) June 16, 2022
Cities to the west are Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Guadalajara.
In the central zone, the venues named were Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Monterrey, and Mexico City. The Eastern Zone hosts are New York/New Jersey, Boston, Philadelphia, Miami and Toronto.
The tournament will be the first World Cup to feature 48 teams, up from the current 32 teams. FIFA has not yet announced which stadium will host the playoffs.
U.S. cities and states are lining up for tax breaks and millions of dollars in public and private investment for a chance at hosting matches in 2026. FIFA’s calls for tax breaks and other financial assistance led to cities including Minneapolis, Chicago and Glendale, Arizona, refusing to be decommissioned in 2018.
Legislators and city officials elsewhere seem to be more inclined to make concessions. The Republican governors of Georgia and Florida signed legislation in May to remove taxes on World Cup ticket sales. Last month, Missouri lawmakers sent a similar bill to Republican Gov. Mike Parson. All three of these states became host cities.
US Soccer study shows that hosting World Cup matches can bring up to $620 million for cities. However, some experts question the economic benefits of hosting major sporting events.