World Cup 2026 host cities and stadiums: the complete guide

The 2026 World Cup is the first to be shared by three nations — the United States, Canada and Mexico — and the first staged across 16 host cities. Here is where the football happens.

United States — 11 cities

The bulk of the tournament takes place in the US, which hosts 11 of the 16 cities:

• New York / New Jersey — MetLife Stadium, home of the final
• Los Angeles — SoFi Stadium in Inglewood
• San Francisco Bay Area — Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara
• Dallas — AT&T Stadium, Arlington
• Kansas City — Arrowhead Stadium
• Houston — NRG Stadium
• Atlanta — Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• Philadelphia — Lincoln Financial Field
• Miami — Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens
• Seattle — Lumen Field
• Boston — Gillette Stadium, Foxborough

Several of these are NFL venues with the capacity and infrastructure to handle knockout-round crowds. The New York/New Jersey area, anchored by MetLife Stadium, takes the showpiece final.

Mexico — 3 cities

Mexico becomes the first country to host World Cup matches at three different tournaments (1970, 1986 and 2026):

• Mexico City — Estadio Azteca, which stages the opening match
• Guadalajara — Estadio Akron
• Monterrey — Estadio BBVA

The Azteca is one of the most storied grounds in the sport, having hosted two previous World Cup finals.

Canada — 2 cities

Canada co-hosts a men's World Cup for the first time, with matches in:

• Toronto — BMO Field
• Vancouver — BC Place

Planning your tournament

With venues spread from Vancouver to Miami, travel and time zones are a real factor — kick-off times vary widely across the continent. The simplest way to keep track is to follow matches by date and competition on KickoffHQ: browse the full World Cup schedule or jump straight to a specific match day to see who plays where.

FAQ

How many matches does each country host?

The United States stages 78 of the 104 matches, including every game from the quarter-finals onward. Canada and Mexico host 13 matches each.

Which stadium hosts the 2026 World Cup final?

MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on 19 July 2026. The venue, shared by the NFL's Giants and Jets, holds around 82,500 and anchors the New York/New Jersey host region.

Where is the opening match of the 2026 World Cup?

At Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 11 June 2026. The Azteca becomes the first stadium to stage matches at three different World Cups, having previously hosted the finals of 1970 and 1986.

Which city hosts the most matches?

Dallas — AT&T Stadium in Arlington stages nine matches, more than any other venue, including one of the semi-finals. The other semi-final is played at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.