NYC, LA, Dallas To Learn Which Will Host FIFA World Cup Final In 2026
The world’s most-watched sporting event will be played in the US in 2026, and soccer’s governing body is about to reveal where.
(Bloomberg) -- The world’s most-watched sporting event will be played in the US in 2026, and soccer’s governing body is about to reveal where.
FIFA will unveil the match schedule for its next World Cup on Sunday at 3 p.m. in New York, including the location of the final. New York and Dallas are considered favorites to host the marquee game, while Los Angeles – with its enviable weather and an expensive new stadium – can’t be ruled out.
New York is vying to hold the final at MetLife Stadium across the Hudson River in New Jersey. That’s the home of the National Football League’s New York Giants and New York Jets, two of the world’s most valuable sports franchises. The Texas venue is AT&T Stadium in Arlington, where the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys play.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino traveled to Texas and New Jersey last year to take in games at both stadiums. While Canada and Mexico are co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, the US will be home to the tournament’s later rounds.
Southern California hosted the championship match in 1994, the last time the World Cup was played in the US, and the area’s $5.5 billion SoFi Stadium has already handled a Super Bowl for the NFL. But the field would have to be widened to meet FIFA’s specifications, which would be costly.
The Sun, a UK tabloid, reported last month that Dallas had won the right to host the final. The leader of the city’s host committee, Dan Hunt, dismissed the story as “just rumors.”
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