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With only two games remaining in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, fans are eyeing the next World Cup. The quadrennial tournament after the Middle East will be heading to North America, where the USA, Canada and Mexico will host the tournament in 2026. The showpiece event returns to the other side of the Atlantic after 30 years. The 1994 FIFA World Cup was one of the biggest tournaments in sporting history where Brazil defeated Italy to win their fourth title.
So the USA, Canada and Mexico will hope to recreate the same magic in 2026 as FIFA has made some key changes to the format of the tournament. Instead of 32 teams, the next World Cup will see 48 teams lock horns for the ultimate prize in a series of 80 games. The tournament will also be the first World Cup hosted by three nations.
With this tournament, Mexico will be the first country to host the men's World Cup three times after 1970 and 1986. Whereas the United States will be the first country to hold both men's and women's World Cups twice each - 1994 for the men's tournament. Whereas the Women’s World Cups were hosted in 1999 and 2003.
The United States will host 60 matches, including every match from the quarterfinals onward while neighbouring Canada and Mexico will each host 10 matches. The tournament will be played across 16 stadiums in the three countries.
These are the World Cup 2026 stadiums:
• Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
• MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey
• AT&T Stadium, Dallas
• Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City
• NRG Stadium, Houston
• Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
• SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
• Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
• Lumen Field, Seattle
• Levi's Stadium, San Francisco Bay Area
• Gillette Stadium, Boston
• Hard Rock Stadium, Miami
• BC Place, Vancouver
• Estadio BBVA, Monterrey
• Estadio Akron, Guadelajara
• BMO Field, Toronto
