HOUSTON — On Sunday, FIFA announced more information about the 2026 World Cup that will be played in North America.
It will be the 23rd World Cup tournament and first to be hosted by three nations and the first in North America since 1994. When the U.S. hosted the 24-nation, 52-game tournament in 1994, the final was at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and the opener at Chicago’s Soldier Field.
Sixteen cities will host games with the championship being played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19, 2026. The bronze medal game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Quarterfinal games will be played in Boston, Kansas City, Los Angeles and Miami while semifinal games will be held in Atlanta and Dallas. All 11 of the U.S. stadiums are home to NFL teams.
For the first time, the tournament will include 48 teams, up from 32. There will be 104 matches across three countries. A nation will need to play eight matches to win the title, up from seven since 1982.
As part of the Central Region, Houston will host five group stage games on June 14, June 17, June 20, June 23 and June 26. There will also be a round of 32 games at NRG Stadium on June 29 and a round of 16 game on July 4. Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey, Dallas and Kansas City are the other cities that make up the region.
Dallas will host nine games, the most of any city. Five of those games will be group stage matches: June 14, June 17, June 22, June 25 and June 27.
Mexico will play in the first game of the tournament at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11, 2026. Mexico also hosted the 1970 and 1986 tournaments and will become the first country to host or co-host the World Cup three times.
The first game for the United States will be played at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 12, 2026. Kim Kardashian made the announcement Sunday along with her son, Saint West. The US will play its second game at Seattle's Lumen Field before finishing the group stage at SoFi.
Canada opens their tournament in Toronto on June 12, 2026. It will be the country's first time hosting World Cup games.
All host cities will have at least one round of 32 games. Round of 16 games will be played in Vancouver, Seattle, Mexico City, Houston, Dallas, Atlanta, Philadelphia and New York/New Jersey.
The West Region is made up of Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco/Bay Area and Los Angeles.
The East Region consists of Atlanta, Miami, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia and New York/New Jersey.
Artificial turf will be replaced by grass in Arlington, Atlanta, East Rutherford, Foxborough, Houston, Inglewood and Vancouver.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire released a statement after Sunday's announcement, "I am thrilled to hear that FIFA has unveiled the game schedule for the 2026 World Cup, including the soccer matches that will be played in the City of Houston. Hosting such a prestigious event will provide an incredible opportunity for our city to showcase its culture, hospitality and infrastructure on a global stage. We are committed to working closely with FIFA to ensure that all preparations are in place to welcome the world and provide an unforgettable experience for players, fans and visitors."