The 2026 World Cup final will happen at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey. FIFA said this on Sunday. New York won against Dallas to have the game on July 19. This is the big game of the 48-team tournament in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
The tournament starts on June 11 at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium. The FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, said it will be the biggest World Cup ever. There will be 104 matches in 16 stadiums in Canada, Mexico, and the USA.
The first match is at Azteca Stadium and the final is in New York/New Jersey. Atlanta and Dallas will have the semi-finals, and Miami gets the third-place game. The quarter-finals will be in Los Angeles, Kansas City, Miami, and Boston.
Most games will be in the USA. The 1994 World Cup final was also in the USA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. New York had games in 1994 too, but at the old Giants Stadium. MetLife Stadium replaced it in 2010.
The decisions were on live TV in North America with FIFA president Infantino, comedian Kevin Hart, rapper Drake, and celebrity Kim Kardashian.
MetLife Stadium can hold 82,500 people and has hosted big football games before. New York’s bid focused on the city’s experience hosting big events and its easy travel options.
Dallas hoped to host because of its roofed AT&T Stadium, but it still gets nine games, the most of any venue. Azteca Stadium will be the first to host World Cup games in three editions. It hosted the finals in 1970 and 1986.
The World Cup will happen during America’s 250th independence celebrations. There’s a game on July 4 in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed.
The US team starts in Los Angeles on June 12 and plays in Seattle too. Toronto hosts the first Canadian game, and Vancouver also hosts.
There will be 48 teams instead of 32, so there will be more matches. Teams will travel less, and the draw will happen in late 2025. Cities hosting the tournament are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, New York-New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver.
