The FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities span three countries and four time zones — the broadest geographic footprint of any tournament. Sixteen cities, sixteen stadiums, three host nations. Below is a full breakdown of every World Cup 2026 host city and stadium, the original name (which most fans know the venue by), the tournament name FIFA will use, and the soccer-capacity for matches.
The 16 FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities at a glance
| Country | City | Tournament name (original) | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | Atlanta, GA | Atlanta Stadium (Mercedes-Benz Stadium) | ~75,000 |
| USA | Foxborough, MA | Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium) | ~70,000 |
| USA | Arlington, TX | Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium) | ~92,900 |
| USA | Houston, TX | Houston Stadium (NRG Stadium) | ~72,000 |
| USA | Kansas City, MO | Kansas City Stadium (Arrowhead Stadium) | ~76,000 |
| USA | Inglewood, CA | Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) | ~70,000 |
| USA | Miami Gardens, FL | Miami Stadium (Hard Rock Stadium) | ~65,000 |
| USA | East Rutherford, NJ | New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium) | ~82,500 |
| USA | Philadelphia, PA | Philadelphia Stadium (Lincoln Financial Field) | ~69,000 |
| USA | Santa Clara, CA | San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (Levi's Stadium) | ~70,000 |
| USA | Seattle, WA | Seattle Stadium (Lumen Field) | ~69,000 |
| Canada | Toronto, ON | Toronto Stadium (BMO Field) | ~45,000 |
| Canada | Vancouver, BC | BC Place | ~54,500 |
| Mexico | Mexico City | Estadio Azteca | ~87,500 |
| Mexico | Zapopan (Guadalajara) | Estadio Guadalajara (Estadio Akron) | ~49,000 |
| Mexico | Guadalupe (Monterrey) | Estadio Monterrey (Estadio BBVA) | ~53,500 |
The headline FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
The most decorated venue in World Cup history. Estadio Azteca hosted the 1970 and 1986 finals — both featuring Pelé's Brazil and Maradona's Argentina respectively. The 2026 World Cup makes it the first stadium ever to host matches at three different World Cup tournaments. Sitting at 2,200 metres above sea level, the altitude factor is real. The opening match (Mexico vs South Africa) on 11 June takes place here.
New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife)
One of the largest of the FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums and host of the 19 July final. Known in NFL season as MetLife Stadium — home of the Giants and Jets — the venue has hosted Super Bowls, U2 residencies and the WrestleMania record-attendance card. Eight World Cup matches will be played here, including the final, which will feature the first half-time show in World Cup final history curated by Chris Martin and Coldplay.
Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium)
The Dallas Cowboys' AT&T Stadium becomes Dallas Stadium for the tournament. With its retractable roof, climate-controlled environment and massive HD screen, it's the highest-capacity FIFA World Cup 2026 venue at around 92,900 seats for soccer. It's scheduled to host a semi-final.
Atlanta Stadium (Mercedes-Benz)
Atlanta's signature venue — Mercedes-Benz Stadium in regular operation — is being temporarily renamed "Atlanta Stadium" for the duration of the tournament. Roughly 2,000 corporate logos at the venue are being covered up to comply with FIFA's clean-zone branding rules. The stadium hosts eight matches including a semi-final, with its retractable petal-roof a striking visual backdrop.
FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities by region
Eastern Region
The Eastern cluster includes Atlanta, Boston (Foxborough), Miami Gardens, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia and Toronto. The geography is broadly along the Atlantic coast, with Toronto as the Canadian outpost. The semi-final at Atlanta Stadium and the final at the New York New Jersey Stadium both fall in this cluster.
Central Region
Six host cities make up the Central cluster: Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, plus Mexico's three host cities — Mexico City, Guadalajara (Zapopan) and Monterrey (Guadalupe). This is the cluster Mexico's Group A operates within, and the time-zone overlap between Central US and Mexico simplifies broadcast scheduling. Dallas hosts a semi-final.
Western Region
Los Angeles (Inglewood), San Francisco Bay (Santa Clara), Seattle and Vancouver form the Western cluster. Canada's BC Place in Vancouver is the most northerly venue. LA's SoFi Stadium hosts USA's Group D opener against Paraguay on 12 June — see the matchday schedule for full kick-off times. The Western cluster's late kick-offs are ideal for broadcast reach into Asia.
What's unique about the FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums
Several of the FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums are American football venues converted for soccer. That means most have wider pitches than standard NFL turf, and FIFA has worked with venue operators to install proper grass surfaces where artificial turf is the norm. Some venues — including Vancouver's BC Place, Atlanta Stadium and Dallas Stadium — have retractable roofs.
One challenge is heat. Tournament organisers have scheduled hot-weather venues — particularly Miami Gardens, Dallas and Houston — for evening kick-offs where possible. Recent reports from Football for Future, Common Goal and Jupiter Intelligence flagged that ten of the 16 stadiums currently exceed safe playing limits during peak summer temperatures, so expect cooling breaks for some daytime matches.
Travelling between host cities
The FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities span roughly 3,400 km from Vancouver in the west to Miami Gardens in the east. Domestic flight networks are well-developed in all three host countries, and FIFA's regional clustering means most teams will only have one inter-region trip during the group stage — usually for their final group match. The full schedule shows each team's travel pattern.
As the brackets fill in, we update which host cities host which matches — follow the live brackets in real time. For more on the teams heading to each venue, and for our take on who'll lift the trophy in New York on 19 July, see our outright predictions.
Frequently asked questions
How many host cities are there at the FIFA World Cup 2026?
There are 16 host cities at the World Cup 2026 — 11 in the United States, three in Mexico (Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey), and two in Canada (Toronto and Vancouver). It's the first World Cup ever hosted by three nations and the largest geographic footprint in tournament history.
Which is the largest FIFA World Cup 2026 stadium?
AT&T Stadium in Arlington (rebranded Dallas Stadium for the tournament) is the largest World Cup 2026 venue with a soccer capacity of around 92,900. The New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife) — the final venue on 19 July — holds about 82,500, and Estadio Azteca in Mexico City around 87,500.
Where is the FIFA World Cup 2026 opening match?
Mexico vs South Africa kicks off the FIFA World Cup 2026 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 11 June 2026 — a rematch of the 2010 World Cup opener. This makes Azteca the first stadium ever to host matches at three different World Cup tournaments (1970, 1986, 2026).
Why are FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums renamed?
FIFA enforces a sponsor-free naming rule during the World Cup, so corporate-named stadiums are renamed for the tournament. MetLife becomes the New York New Jersey Stadium, SoFi becomes Los Angeles Stadium, AT&T becomes Dallas Stadium, Mercedes-Benz becomes Atlanta Stadium, and so on. Roughly 2,000 corporate logos at Mercedes-Benz Stadium alone are being covered up. The actual venues are unchanged — only the displayed name during the tournament.
Which stadiums keep their names during the World Cup?
Estadio Azteca in Mexico City keeps its name. BC Place in Vancouver keeps its name. Most US stadiums and Mexico's BBVA Stadium in Monterrey are being rebranded under FIFA's clean-zone rules covering corporate sponsor branding.