New York City to host 2026 FIFA World Cup final, Mexico gets opener. All you need to know about the tournament
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be held at MetLife Stadium in New York, with the opening game taking place at Mexico City's Azteca Stadium.
The FIFA World Cup 202 will be held at MetLife Stadium in New York, the organizers announced on Saturday, adding that the bid held off a strong challenge from Dallas to secure the July 19 game.
This expanded 48-team tournament will culminate on July 19 which is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The competition will kick off with the opening game at Mexico City's iconic Azteca Stadium on June 11, AFP reported.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said, “The most inclusive and impactful FIFA World Cup ever is no longer a dream but a reality that will take shape in the form of 104 matches in 16 state-of-the-art stadiums across Canada, Mexico, and the USA.”
"From the opening match at the iconic Estadio Azteca to the spectacular final in New York New Jersey, players and fans have been at the core of our extensive planning for this game-changing tournament... that will not only set new records but also leave an indelible legacy."
The semifinals will be held in Atlanta and Dallas, with Miami hosting the third-place match. The quarter-final games will take place in Los Angeles, Kansas City, Miami, and Boston, as per AFP reports.
A total of 16 cities across the three countries will host games with the bulk of the matches being held in the USA. The 1994 World Cup was also held in the United States and the final took place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, near Los Angeles.
New York hosted games at that tournament at the old Giants Stadium, which was later demolished to make way for MetLife, which opened in 2010.
The decisions were announced on a live television broadcast in North America that featured Infantino alongside comedian and actor Kevin Hart, rapper Drake, and celebrity Kim Kardashian.
All you need to know about FIFA World Cup 2026
After 1970 and 1986, the Azteca will be the first stadium to host matches for three different World Cup tournaments. The venue hosted the finals of the 1970 and 1986 tournaments. This came amid celebrations of the 250th anniversary of American independence.
On July 4, Independence Day, a round-of-16 match will take place in Philadelphia, the site of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence. The United States will kick off group stage competition at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 12 and will also play in Seattle.
Toronto was selected to host the first game for the Canadian team. Vancouver is the other Canadian venue that will host the squad. The expansion of the tournament to 48 teams from 32 means there will be an additional 24 matches, making up a total of 104 games across the 16 venues.
The tournament will take the format of 12 groups of four teams with the top two going through along with the eight best third-placed teams. From there, the competition is a straight knock-out format with the finalists having to play eight games rather than the previous seven.
“The match schedule, which will not be complete until the qualification process has ended, has been designed to limit travel for the teams,” FIFA said as quoted by AFP.
The full draw for the tournament is expected to be held in late 2025.
The 16 host cities for 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.
(With AFP inputs)
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Business NewsNewsWorldNew York City to host 2026 FIFA World Cup final, Mexico gets opener. All you need to know about the tournament
First Published:5 Feb 2024, 07:38 AM IST
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