U.S., Mexico, & Canada to Host 2026 World Cup
Ahead of tomorrow's World Cup in Russia, FIFA has announced that the U.S., Mexico, and Canada have won a joint bid to host the 2026 World Cup, reports NBC. The North American proposal is referred to as United 2026, as it bested a rival Moroccan bid, 134 votes to 65.
"On behalf of our United bid ... thank you so very much for this incredible honor," Carlos Cordeiro, the president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, noted after the announcement. "Thank you for entrusting us with the privilege of hosting the World Cup in 2026."
Venues for the 2026 World Cup, which is slated to be the first WC to feature 48 teams, will be chosen from 23 stadiums that currently exist or are already under construction. There will be three hubs in Mexico, three in Canada, and sixteen in the States, all home to NFL teams. Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York/New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Washington are all possible locations for U.S. games, with Canada's taking place in Edmonton, Montreal, and Toronto, and Mexico's potential host cities being Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey.
The 2026 World Cup final will go down in Dallas, Los Angeles, or New York/New Jersey.
The last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup was in 1994, with Brazil winning the tournament at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
For more on the U.S., Mexico, and Canada hosting the 2026 World Cup, visit NBC.
Now, here's a guide to all 12 stadiums for World Cup 2018.