More U.S. Cities Likely to Host World Cup Games

FIFA announced the third and final leg of its tour for prospective 2026 World Cup host cities in North America.

Vancouver — which expressed late interest — is not on the list, making the U.S. likely to host in 11 cities instead of the expected 10.

A delegation led by CONCACAF president and FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani will visit Edmonton, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Los Angeles, and Toronto between Nov. 17-22, helping decide which 16 North American cities will host the tournament. 

It will be the first World Cup with 48 countries competing — and three co-hosts.

• Toronto and Edmonton are the only potential host cities left in Canada — Montreal dropped out this summer.
• Mexico is slated to host in three cities.
• Atlanta, New York, Miami, Dallas, and Denver, among other cities, have already been toured in the U.S. The Boston Consulting Group says that the projected revenue from five matches is roughly $360 million.

FIFA will assess each city’s facilities, focusing on sustainability and infrastructure. Qatar, which won the 2022 World Cup bid, expects a $20 billion economic boost from the event.

The final city selections are expected to be made in the first half of 2022.