World Cup 2026 host cities & stadiums
By Tom Gott
Preparations for the 2026 World Cup have ramped up with the revelation of the 16 lucky cities set to play host.
Split across the USA, Canada and Mexico, the 2026 World Cup is the first which will feature a whopping 48 teams, so there's going to be a lot of action to keep up with.
Let's take a look at the 16 stadiums where you will be able to catch the action.
United States
1. Atlanta - Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Team: Atlanta United
Capacity: 75,000
Kicking things off is Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, which plays host to both MLS and NFL action on a regular basis.
It stands out with its circular, retractable roof and the countless pieces of contemporary art around the stadium.
2. Boston - Gillette Stadium
Team: New England Revolution
Capacity: 70,000
Opened in 2002, Gillette Stadium replaced one of the major grounds from the 1994 World Cup, Foxboro Stadium.
The Boston bid is centred around hosting one semi-final game, although fixtures have not yet been confirmed.
3. Dallas - AT&T Stadium
Team: Dallas Cowboys (NFL)
Capacity: 92,967
The biggest stadium in NFL, Dallas' AT&T Stadium has hosted some of the most glamorous and high-profile events in the country's sporting history.
The pitch may need to be widened to accommodate the World Cup playing surface, so that massive capacity may not end up being available.
4. Houston - NRG Stadium
Team: Houston Texans (NFL)
Capacity: 72,220
The only Manchester derby to be held outside of England took place in Houston's NRG Stadium in 2017.
It comes with its own retractable roof and a nice view of the famous Astrodome, which sits unused right next door.
5. Kansas City - Arrowhead Stadium
Team: Kansas City Chiefs (NFL)
Capacity: 76,640
The former home of Sporting Kansas City, Arrowhead Stadium holds the record for the loudest-ever stadium.
A sound level of 142.2 dB was recorded during a 2014 NFL game - a record which is yet to be topped for a sports game.
6. Los Angeles - SoFi Stadium
Team: Los Angeles Rams (NFL), Los Angeles Chargers (NFL)
Capacity: 70,000
SoFi Stadium wasn't even including in the original World Cup bid but FIFA couldn't resist the glitz and glamour of LA's new $5bn complex.
The ground hasn't yet hosted a football match, however, with its first taste of MLS action coming in August for the MLS-Liga MX double-header.
7. Miami - Hard Rock Stadium
Team: Miami Dolphins (NFL), University of Miami
Capacity: 67,518
A recent $500m revamp has kept Hard Rock Stadium among the USA's elite stadiums.
Real Madrid and Barcelona squared off in a Clasico here in 2017, while the Super Bowl is a regular sight in Miami.
8. New York/New Jersey - MetLife Stadium
Team: New York Giants (NFL), New York Jets (NFL)
Capacity: 87,157
It may only be 12 years old, but MetLife Stadium has an illustrious CV when it comes to hosting football matches.
International sides from across the globe have played friendlies there but it has also hosted massive events, ranging from the Super Bowl, to Wrestlemania and the 2010 lacrosse Big City Classic.
9. Philadelphia - Lincoln Financial Field
Team: Philadelphia Eagles (NFL)
Capacity: 69,328
Lincoln Financial Field is a zero-waste complex covered with solar panels and wind turbines.
It's also seen plenty of sporting action over the years, with Man Utd's friendly against Barcelona in 2003 the first event to take place there.
10. San Francisco Bay Area - Levi's Stadium
Team: San Francisco 49ers (NFL)
Capacity: 70,909
As far as modernity goes, Levi's Stadium is up there with the best. It comes with its own massive cellular and Wi-Fi system, a stadium-specific app and, unbelievably, a rooftop farm.
The ground has played host to a number of US football matches as well as Super Bowl 50 and Wrestlemania 31.
11. Seattle - Lumen Field
Team: Seattle Seahawks (NFL), Seattle Sounders (MLS), OL Reign (NWSL)
Capacity: 69,000
One of the best-attended stadiums in MLS, Lumen Field was actually built for the Seahawks but has built its reputation on raucous crowds watching the Sounders.
Man Utd & Barcelona are among the sides to have played here in the past.
Mexico
12. Guadalajara - Estadio Akron
Team: Chivas
Capacity: 48,071
Estadio Akron was opened in 2010 when Chivas hosted Man Utd and Mexican icon Javier Hernandez played 45 minutes for each side.
It doesn't see a lot of top-tier international football but did play host to Mexico's Olympic qualifying and the 2011 U-17 World Cup.
13. Mexico City - Estadio Azteca
Team: Mexico national team, Club America, Cruz Azul
Capacity: 87,523
The Azteca is one of the most famous stadiums in the world. Period. Diego Maradona's Hand of God came here in 1986, 16 years after Pele and Brazil's famous 1970 side took the World Cup by storm.
Its capacity used to be well over 100,000 but renovations to prepare it for future NFL games have seen that figure drop.
14. Monterrey - Estadio BBVA
Team: Monterrey
Capacity: 53,460
Estadio BBVA is the newest major football stadium in Mexico.
Outside of Monterrey league games, it hasn't seen a whole lot of action, although it will host the CONCACAF W Championship in July.
Canada
15. Toronto - BMO Field
Team: Toronto FC (MLS), Toronto Argonauts (CFL)
Capacity: 45,500 (planned)
There are expansion works planned at BMO Field which should take the stadium's capacity up a further 17,000 to around the 45,500 mark by the time the World Cup arrives.
Its hosted plenty of significant sporting events, including a lot of major youth international tournaments.
16. Vancouver - BC Place
Team: Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS), BC Lions (CFL)
Capacity: 54,600
Canada declined to include BC Place in their initial bid because of the work needed to replace the turf with World Cup-suitable grass, only to eventually opt for bringing it in.
The 2015 Women's World Cup final was held here, as were a whole host of major sporting events.
Yael Averbuch West welcomed USMNT and Nashville SC Designated Player Walker Zimmerman for the latest episode of 90min's Football Americana. As the World Cup fast approaches, the defender revealed what's going on behind the scenes at recent USMNT camps - ahead of matches against Wales and England in Qatar. Zimmerman also spoke on the revolutionary CBA agreed upon by the US national teams and US Soccer, giving the USMNT’s side and perspective as the historic procedure went down. Subscribe to the series here.