In a groundbreaking announcement, FIFA has set the stage for the 2026 World Cup, revealing a schedule that spans three countries and promises an unprecedented football extravaganza. The tournament will kick off in Mexico City and reach its climax at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The U.S. men’s national team (USMNT) will find their battlegrounds in Southern California and Seattle, with the semifinals lighting up Atlanta and Arlington, Texas. Out of the 104 games, a whopping 78 will be hosted by various cities across the United States.
This World Cup, set to be the most intricate ever, will see 16 North American cities – 11 in the U.S., three in Mexico, and two in Canada – playing host to this global football showdown. The announcement was particularly sweet for New York and New Jersey, who landed the prestigious final, outshining Dallas and its AT&T Stadium.
Dallas, however, won’t be left in the shadows, hosting a semifinal and the highest number of games of any city. Los Angeles has secured a quarterfinal and two USMNT group matches, with Southern California likely to be the USMNT’s base camp, as confirmed by head coach Gregg Berhalter. Kansas City, Miami, and Boston are also set to stage quarterfinals, with each U.S. city hosting at least six matches. In a nod to history, Philadelphia will host a Round of 16 game on July 4, marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
Mexico and Canada are not far behind, with 13 games each. The iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will have the honor of being the first stadium to host matches in three different men’s World Cups. Canada’s national team starts its campaign in Toronto on June 12, before heading west to Vancouver.
A major focus of the schedule is minimizing travel for teams. Most of the 48 teams will stay within one of three “regional clusters” – East (Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York, Boston, Toronto), Central (Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey), and West (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver).
The schedule’s structure means that the first two weeks of the group stage will feature four games per day, each in its own broadcast window. This approach changes only in the final round of group games, which are played simultaneously.
Here’s a breakdown of the 2026 World Cup schedule by city:
- – **Atlanta:** Mercedes-Benz Stadium (8 games)
– **Boston:** Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass. (7 games)
– **Dallas:** AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Tex. (9 games)
– **Houston:** NRG Stadium (7 games)
– **Kansas City:** Arrowhead Stadium (6 games)
– **Los Angeles:** SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif. (8 games)
– **Miami:** Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla. (7 games)
– **New York:** MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J. (8 games, including the final)
– **Philadelphia:** Lincoln Financial Field (6 games)
– **San Francisco:** Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif. (6 games)
– **Seattle:** Lumen Field (6 games)
– **Toronto:** BMO Field (6 games)
– **Vancouver:** BC Place (7 games)
– **Guadalajara:** Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico (4 games)
– **Mexico City:** Estadio Azteca (5 games)
– **Monterrey:** Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico (4 games)
The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be a festival of football like no other, with a blend of new and historic venues setting the stage for a truly global celebration of the beautiful game.
