The final match of the 2026 World Cup, set to take place on July 19, will be hosted at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, United States. FIFA, the governing body of international soccer, made the announcement from a Miami television studio. The tournament, which spans 39 days, will be held across three North American nations, with the opening match taking place at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on June 11. The decision to hold the final in New Jersey was celebrated by Governor Phil Murphy, who emphasized the importance of diversity and the long-lasting impact of the event.
The owner of the Dallas Cowboys, Jerry Jones, had advocated for the final to be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. However, the perception of a coastal location such as New York or Los Angeles posed a challenge for the competition on an international scale. The United States will host all quarterfinal matches and the semifinals, which will be held on July 14 at AT&T Stadium and the following day at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The quarterfinals will take place at various stadiums, including Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, and Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. The third-place game will be held at Hard Rock Stadium on July 18.
The U.S. team will train in suburban Atlanta before the tournament begins and will play their opening match at SoFi Stadium on June 12. They will then compete at Seattle’s Lumen Field seven days later and conclude the group stage at SoFi Stadium on June 25. Despite reaching the semifinals in the inaugural World Cup in 1930, the United States has only advanced to the quarterfinals once, in 2002.
Out of the 104 matches scheduled for the first World Cup held in three countries, 78 will be played in the United States, while Mexico and Canada will each host 13 matches. The goal of the U.S. team is to make their nation proud and leave a lasting impact on the development of soccer in America.
AT&T Stadium will host the highest number of matches, with a total of nine. MetLife Stadium, SoFi Stadium, and Mercedes Benz Stadium will each host eight matches. Other stadiums involved include Hard Rock Stadium, Gillette Stadium, NRG Stadium, Lumen Field, Lincoln Financial Field, Arrowhead Stadium, and Levi’s Stadium.
FIFA officials did not publicly disclose their decision-making process for selecting the host sites. Notably, Philadelphia’s final match will coincide with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4. However, Santa Clara will not host any matches after the new round of 32.
FIFA has expanded the World Cup to include 48 nations, resulting in an increase in the number of matches from 64. The decision for the 2022 tournament in Qatar featured the announcement of the 16 host sites. Despite initial speculation that the final would be held at AT&T Stadium, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy remained optimistic and focused on the task at hand.
Mexico will have the opportunity to play at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey and Estadio Azteca, while Canada will compete in Toronto and B.C. Place in Vancouver. Each Canadian venue will host a total of 13 matches.
To win the title, a team will need to play eight matches, an increase from the previous requirement of seven since 1982. All 11 stadiums in the United States are home to NFL teams. Some stadiums, such as Hard Rock and MetLife, have previously hosted major soccer finals, including the Copa América.
The Azteca Stadium in Mexico City has hosted the World Cup finals twice, in 1970 and 1986. When the United States hosted the tournament in 1994, the final was held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
With the addition of more teams, the duration of the tournament will extend beyond the 29 days of the shortened 2022 schedule in Qatar and the 32 days of the 2018 tournament in Russia. However, only one match will involve a team that has not had at least three rest days. FIFA has divided the group stage into East, Central, and West regions to minimize travel for group winners.
Certain stadiums, including those in Arlington, Atlanta, and Houston, have retractable roofs that will be closed due to the summer heat. Inglewood and Vancouver have fixed roofs, while artificial turf will be replaced with grass in several venues.
FIFA has not yet announced the kickoff times for the matches. However, recent tournaments have seen earlier start times to cater to the growing significance of Asia’s television market. The 2022 final in Qatar, for example, began at 5 p.m. local time.
The 2026 World Cup final will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, U.S., on July 19. FIFA made the announcement, with the tournament opener taking place in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on June 11. The U.S. team will train in Atlanta and play its first match at SoFi Stadium on June 12. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had hoped to host the final at AT&T Stadium in Texas. The U.S. will host the majority of the matches, with Mexico and Canada also hosting some games. The tournament will be expanded to include 48 nations and will last for 39 days.
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