Dallas could host the inaugural match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup
FIFA will announce its selection next month for the quadrennial event that will be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
For the first time in history, three countries will host the FIFA World Cup in 2026. The most-watched sporting event in the world will return to North America as the United States, Mexico and Canada split the duties in the quadrennial event.
According to reports, the AT&T stadium and the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas are among the venues that could be chosen by FIFA to host the inaugural match of the 2026 World Cup. The governing body will make the announcement on 16 June.
FIFA also announced there are 22 candidate cities that have made a bid to host the 48-team campaign in the United States, Mexico and Canada. FIFA officials visited potential World Cup cities and stadiums during 2021 and they will make the official announcement next month.
The current candidate host cities
The cities in the running are: Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Edmonton, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, Nashville, New York/New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington DC/Baltimore.
“In line with the previous stages of the FIFA World Cup 2026 selection process, any announcement will be made in the best interests of football, taking into consideration the needs of all stakeholders involved, as we aim to lay the foundations for the tournament to be delivered successfully across all three countries,” said FIFA Vice-President and Concacaf President Victor Montagliani.
“We can only reiterate our appreciation to all the cities and the three member associations for their efforts and dedication to this process. While stadiums represent an essential element of the selection process, FIFA is considering the overarching proposals presented by each candidate host city, which are broader in nature and also include ancillary events and venues, and key aspects such as sustainability, human rights, legacy, general infrastructure and financial impact.”
“During the past months we have had open exchanges with the candidate host cities on a number of different topics. We are very thankful and impressed by how dedicated and innovative they all are,” said FIFA’s Chief Tournaments & Events Officer, Colin Smith.
“The host cities will be absolutely key to ensuring the successful delivery of the competition. We look forward to working with them to deliver what will undoubtably be the largest FIFA World Cup in history,” concluded Victor Montagliani.