Every Host City for the 2026 World Cup: Stadiums, Capacity, and What to Know

The 16 Host Cities and Stadiums of the 2026 FIFA World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is spread across three countries and 16 host cities — 11 in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada — making it the most geographically ambitious tournament in the competition’s history. Below is a complete, stadium-by-stadium breakdown of every venue, its capacity, and why each city matters to the global game.

Whether you are planning a trip, following matches from home, or settling a debate, this guide covers everything you need to know about where the world’s biggest football tournament is being played. For a deeper look at the history behind the tournament itself, visit the ScoreBorg history archive.

United States — 11 Venues

The United States is hosting the lion’s share of matches. Every American stadium is an NFL venue adapted for football, which means vast capacities, retractable roofs in several cases, and world-class infrastructure — though natural grass pitches had to be installed over artificial turf surfaces at many sites.

AT&T Stadium — Arlington, Texas (Dallas)

FIFA capacity: ~94,000

The largest venue of the entire tournament. Home of the Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium is a monument to scale: its retractable roof and pillar-free interior make it one of the most recognizable arenas in North American sports. The Dallas–Fort Worth area has a passionate and fast-growing football fanbase, anchored by FC Dallas in MLS, and the stadium’s sheer size means it will host some of the tournament’s most electric atmospheres.

MetLife Stadium — East Rutherford, New Jersey (New York / New Jersey)

FIFA capacity: ~82,500 — Host of the Final

The crown jewel of the 2026 tournament. Sitting just outside New York City, MetLife Stadium — officially styled “New York New Jersey Stadium” for the tournament under FIFA’s sponsorship policies — hosts the World Cup final. It is the home of two NFL franchises (the New York Giants and the New York Jets) and stages eight matches in total, from the group stage to the biggest night in the sport. New York City is arguably the most football-mad market in the United States: home to New York City FC and the New York Red Bulls, and to an enormous global diaspora that makes every match here feel genuinely international.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta, Georgia

FIFA capacity: ~75,000

Home of the Atlanta Falcons (NFL) and Atlanta United (MLS), Mercedes-Benz Stadium features a distinctive petal-shaped retractable roof that makes it one of the most architecturally striking venues in North America. Atlanta United’s consistent ability to draw enormous crowds for MLS matches proves that Georgia’s capital has already earned its place among the country’s top football cities — a reputation the World Cup will only amplify.

Arrowhead Stadium — Kansas City, Missouri

FIFA capacity: ~73,000

Widely regarded as one of the loudest outdoor stadiums in the world, Arrowhead is home to the Kansas City Chiefs and is renowned for its ferocious atmosphere. Kansas City also hosts Sporting KC, one of MLS’s most decorated clubs. Sitting at the geographic heart of the country, it is a natural anchor point for a tri-nation tournament and will give fans in America’s interior a front-row seat to the world’s game.

NRG Stadium — Houston, Texas

FIFA capacity: ~72,000

Houston is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United States, with a large Latin American community that gives World Cup football an almost local resonance. NRG Stadium’s retractable roof will be essential given the city’s intense summer heat. The Houston Dynamo play here, and the region’s deep cultural ties to Mexico and Central America make it one of the tournament’s most anticipated venues.

Levi’s Stadium — Santa Clara, California (San Francisco Bay Area)

FIFA capacity: ~71,000

Located in Silicon Valley, Levi’s Stadium is home to the San Francisco 49ers. The Bay Area has a rich football culture through the San Jose Earthquakes and a large Latin American population that has embraced the sport for generations. Its proximity to the Pacific Rim also makes this one of the tournament’s most internationally diverse host cities.

SoFi Stadium — Inglewood, California (Los Angeles)

FIFA capacity: ~70,000

One of the newest and most technologically advanced stadiums in the world, SoFi Stadium opened in 2020 as the home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers. Los Angeles is arguably the United States’ most important football market — home to LA Galaxy (one of the founding MLS clubs) and LAFC, and to a global football community that stretches from Mexico City to Seoul. A World Cup in LA without SoFi was unthinkable.

Lincoln Financial Field — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

FIFA capacity: ~69,000

Home of the Philadelphia Eagles in one of American sports’ most famously passionate cities, “the Linc” brings an intense local sporting culture to the tournament. Philadelphia Union has built one of MLS’s most respected clubs nearby at Subaru Park, and the city’s historical significance — as one of America’s oldest major cities — gives it particular weight as a host.

Lumen Field — Seattle, Washington

FIFA capacity: ~69,000

Seattle is one of the true heartlands of American football culture. The Sounders have won multiple MLS Cups and routinely draw some of the highest attendances in the league. Lumen Field — home of the Seahawks — is known for deafening noise levels, and the Pacific Northwest’s enthusiastic sporting culture will make this one of the tournament’s most atmospheric venues.

Gillette Stadium — Foxborough, Massachusetts (Boston)

FIFA capacity: ~65,000

Shared by the New England Patriots (NFL) and the New England Revolution (MLS), Gillette Stadium serves the greater Boston area. New England has a long football history and a large immigrant population from football-passionate nations across Europe and Latin America. Boston’s world-renowned universities also draw students and academics from across the globe, adding to a cosmopolitan feel that makes it a natural World Cup city.

Hard Rock Stadium — Miami Gardens, Florida (Miami)

FIFA capacity: ~65,000

Miami is one of the cultural capitals of Latin American football in North America, and Hard Rock Stadium brings that energy into the tournament. Inter Miami CF, the MLS club that captured global attention following Lionel Messi’s arrival in 2023, plays nearby, cementing South Florida’s status as one of the most football-passionate regions in the country. The city’s Cuban, Colombian, Argentinian, and Brazilian communities will make every match here a festival.

Mexico — 3 Venues

Mexico is the only country to have hosted the World Cup three times. Its three 2026 venues each carry deep football significance, and Mexican clubs command some of the most devoted fanbases in the sport. Browse team profiles on ScoreBorg to learn more about the clubs that call these stadiums home.

Estadio Azteca — Mexico City

FIFA capacity: ~83,000 — Host of the Opening Match

There is no stadium on earth with a World Cup résumé to match the Azteca. It hosted the 1970 World Cup final — where Pelé’s Brazil lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy for the third and final time — and the 1986 World Cup final, where Argentina triumphed. With 2026, the Azteca becomes the first stadium in history to host World Cup matches across three separate tournaments.

The 1986 quarter-final between Argentina and England was played on this very pitch. In the space of four minutes, Diego Maradona scored the infamous “Hand of God” goal and then what is still widely considered the greatest individual World Cup goal ever scored — a mazy run from his own half past five defenders before finishing past the goalkeeper.

The Azteca is the shared home of Club América and Cruz Azul, two of Mexico’s biggest clubs. Sitting at 2,240 metres above sea level in one of the world’s great capital cities, it is a pilgrimage site for any serious football fan. Hosting the Opening Match adds one more layer to its extraordinary legacy — explore the tournaments played here in the ScoreBorg history section.

Estadio BBVA — Guadalupe (Monterrey)

FIFA capacity: ~53,500

Opened in 2015, Estadio BBVA is one of the most striking modern stadiums in Latin America, its grandstand framing a dramatic view of the Cerro de la Silla mountain. It is the home of CF Monterrey, one of Mexico’s most successful clubs in CONCACAF Champions Cup competition. Monterrey is Mexico’s industrial heartland and a fiercely football-passionate city; the combination of a visually spectacular setting and a devoted local fanbase will make it one of the tournament’s most memorable venues.

Estadio Akron — Zapopan (Guadalajara)

FIFA capacity: ~49,850

Home of Club Deportivo Guadalajara — universally known as Chivas — Estadio Akron sits in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city. Chivas is one of the most beloved clubs in Mexican football history, with a fiercely loyal fanbase and a unique tradition of fielding only Mexican-born players. Guadalajara hosted matches in both 1970 and 1986, giving the city’s football culture a well-worn connection to the World Cup.

Canada — 2 Venues

For Canada, 2026 is a genuine milestone: neither BC Place nor BMO Field has ever hosted a men’s World Cup match. Canada’s men’s national team qualified for the 2022 World Cup for the first time since 1986, and the country’s football culture has grown rapidly since. These two venues are more than backdrops — they are symbols of a football nation coming of age.

BC Place — Vancouver, British Columbia

FIFA capacity: ~54,500

BC Place is a multi-purpose domed stadium — the largest of its kind in Canada — and home to the Vancouver Whitecaps of MLS. Vancouver has a richly multicultural population, with large communities from football-passionate nations across Asia, Latin America, and Europe. The city previously hosted matches during the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, giving it relevant experience with the logistical demands of a major tournament. Its spectacular setting between the Pacific Ocean and the Coast Mountains makes it one of the most visually distinctive host cities in the world.

BMO Field — Toronto, Ontario

FIFA capacity: ~45,700

BMO Field is the smallest venue in the 2026 tournament and the only one purpose-built for football. Home of Toronto FC since it opened in 2007, the stadium underwent a significant expansion — including the addition of large temporary stands — to meet FIFA’s minimum capacity requirement. Toronto is Canada’s largest city and one of the most diverse cities on earth, with significant communities from virtually every football-playing nation. It is also the city where Canada’s modern football identity has been most visibly shaped, making it a fitting and symbolically important host. Follow the ScoreBorg prediction game to test your knowledge of every team heading to Toronto.

A Tournament That Spans a Continent

Taken together, these 16 venues trace a geographic arc from the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest to the sun-scorched plains of northern Mexico — from Canada’s multicultural urban centres to the NFL behemoths of the American South and Midwest. The combined scale is unprecedented: 16 stadiums, three nations, 48 teams, 104 matches.

• Largest stadium: AT&T Stadium, Dallas (~94,000)
• Smallest stadium: BMO Field, Toronto (~45,700)
• Most historic stadium: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City — three World Cups, two finals, and the pitch where Maradona scored two of football’s most legendary goals
• Host of the Final: MetLife Stadium, New York / New Jersey
• Host of the Opening Match: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City

For those who want to go deeper — into the history of previous host nations, the lineage of every World Cup winner, and the full statistical story of the tournament — the ScoreBorg history archive is the place to explore. And when matches are live, live scores are updated in real time throughout every match day.

Whatever city you are watching from, or travelling to, these 16 stadiums are where the story of 2026 is being written.