2026 FIFA World Cup

[OrangeXtreme]

World Cup host cities:

Vancouver
Seattle
SF Bay Area
Los Angeles
Guadalajara
Kansas City
Atlanta
Dallas
Houston
Monterrey
Mexico City
Toronto
Boston
Philadelphia
Miami
NY/NJ

 

[jordville]

Can't wait...

 

[jordville]

A little shocked they don't have an Ohio city, but I am okay with it.

 

[MSOrange]

 

[sutomcat]

World Cup host cities:

Vancouver
Seattle
SF Bay Area
Los Angeles
Guadalajara
Kansas City
Atlanta
Dallas
Houston
Monterrey
Mexico City
Toronto
Boston
Philadelphia
Miami
NY/NJ

Washington DC is sad. Would guess Montreal is too. Denver and Nashville were hoping. Vegas dropped out a while ago.

 

[orange79]

World Cup host cities:

Vancouver
Seattle
SF Bay Area
Los Angeles
Guadalajara
Kansas City
Atlanta
Dallas
Houston
Monterrey
Mexico City
Toronto
Boston
Philadelphia
Miami
NY/NJ

"Boston"

 

[Orangezoo]

Can't wait. I was surprised in DC losing out to Boston though.

 

[jncuse]

Washington DC is sad. Would guess Montreal is too. Denver and Nashville were hoping. Vegas dropped out a while ago.

Montreal withdrew their application to host games last summer. So nobody in Montreal was sad today.

But I do listen to Montreal Sports Radio from time to time and there was certainly some angry people at the time of the withdrawal last year. At the end of the day they just don't have a suitable facility -- the upgrade costs to the Big Owe would have been way too much and they were not going to build a new facility.

 

[Noexcuse]

Went to games at Foxboro and Meadowlands in 1994. Got to see Maradona in his last World Cup appearance as he was banned after the game for testing positive for ephedrine. Also got to see 15 minutes of Baggio against Norway. He was subbed out when Pagliuca handled the ball outside the box and Italy had to go to 10 men. Nothing beats the atmosphere of a World Cup game at a packed stadium. 90 minutes of sustained excitement and energy. Hopefully they have fixed the ticket purchase system this time around though. I spent 14 hours on the phone trying to get through and was only able to get tickets to 2 games.

 

[sutomcat]

Montreal withdrew their application to host games last summer. So nobody in Montreal was sad today.

But I do listen to Montreal Sports Radio from time to time and there was certainly some angry people at the time of the withdrawal last year. At the end of the day they just don't have a suitable facility -- the upgrade costs to the Big Owe would have been way too much and they were not going to build a new facility.

It is a shame a great city like Montreal will not host any games and does not have a top of the line sports venue for events like this.

C'est la vie...

 

[NineOneSeven]

they'll play in all those cities?

 

[ScrabbCuse]

they'll play in all those cities?

Yep. There will be games in each of those cities. I believe Mexico and Canada will only get matches through the knockout rounds. The quarterfinals and on will all be in the US.

 

[jordville]

1994 WC still holds the attendance record (and with 12 less matches). 2026 will shatter it...

I believe there will be 80 matches in 2026. But obviously the stadiums are bigger too...

 

[cusefan88]

Shame our nations capital isn't hosting but oh well.

 

[ForCuseSake]

Can't wait...

Wonder if this means they’re putting grass in the MB Dome or actually playing at UGA’s stadium in Athens.

I went to the Silverdome in 1994 to watch Brazil vs Sweden and will never forget the look of real grass covering the entire stadium floor.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Montreal withdrew their application to host games last summer. So nobody in Montreal was sad today.

But I do listen to Montreal Sports Radio from time to time and there was certainly some angry people at the time of the withdrawal last year. At the end of the day they just don't have a suitable facility -- the upgrade costs to the Big Owe would have been way too much and they were not going to build a new facility.

Isn't there discussion about baseball going back to Montreal? How does that work without a venue?

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Any advice on how to get tickets will be appreciated

 

[cusefan88]

Wonder if this means they’re putting grass in the MB Dome or actually playing at UGA’s stadium in Athens.

I went to the Silverdome in 1994 to watch Brazil vs Sweden and will never forget the look of real grass covering the entire stadium floor.

I'm a kind of stadium nerd. I read the 2026 bid book. ALL venues will have grass playing surface. Will it be executed to the standard of international football? I have no idea.

 

[jordville]

Wonder if this means they’re putting grass in the MB Dome or actually playing at UGA’s stadium in Athens.

I went to the Silverdome in 1994 to watch Brazil vs Sweden and will never forget the look of real grass covering the entire stadium floor.

They are putting grass in... think I read it will be installed in February.

 

[Hoo's That]

1. re: DC: Some are seeing the rejection as an FU to Snyder by the US federation per the WaPo because FedEx Field was the proposed DC venue.

2. re grass in domes: I believe I saw in a previous World Cup discussion that a Michigan State professor came up with these removable hexagonal pallets that have grass on top. Between game days, the pallets can be taken outside to get sunlight and then reassembled to make the grass playing surface. I'm surprised Phoenix didn't get any games since the grass field of the whoever-the-sponsor-is-this-week stadium slides out for sunlight.

 

[jncuse]

Isn't there discussion about baseball going back to Montreal? How does that work without a venue?

They would build a baseball stadium in Montreal (although I am sure it would require a significant amount of private financing and only some public financing).

But I am talking purely about significant upgrades or new facility for the a handful of World Cup games --- they were not going to get private financing for that.

 

[Noexcuse]

In 1994 they installed a grass field at the old Giants stadium in the Meadowlands. The soccer configuration barely fit inside and I remember corner kicks being something of an adventure due to the closeness of the sidelines.

 

[cusefan88]

In 1994 they installed a grass field at the old Giants stadium in the Meadowlands. The soccer configuration barely fit inside and I remember corner kicks being something of an adventure due to the closeness of the sidelines.

Tbh NYC and Dallas both have very narrow fields for soccer. It's not going to look great and I expect gripes from managers and players.

Houston IMO is going to come off as the best venue. Absolutely beautiful stadium with a wide area for the field. Plus the retractable roof.

The Final should be held in the eastern time zone. NYC or Philly is the logical choice. Would love to see the final in the birth place of our nation.

 

[cusefan88]

I just want to add for the billionaire idiot owners who will build a stadium in the future...if you want to host proper soccer make sure playing area is very wide.

 

[ForCuseSake]

In 1994 they installed a grass field at the old Giants stadium in the Meadowlands. The soccer configuration barely fit inside and I remember corner kicks being something of an adventure due to the closeness of the sidelines.

It was the same in the Silverdome.

Players had a few feet of clearance for corner kicks and the field dimensions pushed the action very close to spectators.