The 2026 FIFA World Cup will utilise among the biggest stadiums on this planet throughout North America.
That includes state-of-the-art NFL services and one of many World Cup’s most historic and storied venues, this event will happen amid a spectacular backdrop, regardless of the ticketing controversies which have threatened to depart huge swathes of empty seats.
Listed below are the 16 stadiums in use throughout the three nations: two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the USA.
A variety of the stadiums are higher recognized by names apart from those which might be getting used throughout the event.
“Stadium official names for the FIFA World Cup 2026 have been matched with Host Metropolis names and will differ from the frequent designation used domestically,” FIFA notes on its web site.
That’s as a result of nearly all the stadiums getting used have sponsored names, which can’t be used beneath FIFA’s strict branding guidelines.
It additionally signifies that, with one exception, all branding has needed to be faraway from the stadiums.
Extra generally often known as Mercedes-Benz Stadium, it opened in 2017 and is house to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Main League Soccer’s Atlanta United.
It additionally hosted the 2019 Tremendous Bowl and is about to host the NFL showpiece once more in 2028.
The stadium’s distinctive and putting design encompasses a totally retractable roof, which consists of eight translucent, triangular panels.
Atlanta Stadium seems to be simply pretty much as good inside because it does exterior. (Getty Photos: Kevin C. Cox)
Nonetheless, a kind of panels encompasses a huge Mercedes-Benz emblem, which can’t be eliminated or coated up, or else run the chance of damaging the infrastructure, so it has been allowed to remain, in keeping with The Athletic.
One factor that will not be in place in the course of the event although, is the tremendous low costs of meals and drinks on provide within the stadium, which is repeatedly credited as being the lowest-cost menu on provide in American sport.
Spain vs Cabo Verde, June 16Czechia vs South Africa, June 19Spain vs Saudi Arabia, June 22Morocco vs Haiti, June 25Democratic Republic of Congo vs Uzbekistan, June 28Round of 32 (1L v 3EHIJK), July 2Round of 16 (W86 v W88), July 8Semi-final (W99 v W100), July 16
World Cup capability: 68,239.
Vancouver’s BC Place has one of the vital gorgeous architectural options in any stadium wherever, the world’s largest cable-supported retractable roof.
A particular roof has at all times been a notable a part of BC Place, with the 1983-built unique that includes the world’s largest air-supported cover.
That roof was deflated for the ultimate time after the 2010 Winter Paralympics and changed by the current retractable model.
BC Place is a singular level amongst Vancouver’s excessive rises. (Getty Photos: Elizabeth Ruiz Ruiz)
The Socceroos will play their opening recreation of the event in opposition to Türkiye in Vancouver.
The stadium has hosted loads of well-known sporting occasions prior to now, together with the 2010 Winter Olympics opening and shutting ceremonies, in addition to the ultimate of the 2015 Girls’s World Cup, when the USA thumped Japan 5-2.
Socceroos vs Türkiye, June 14Canada vs Qatar, June 19New Zealand vs Egypt, June 22Switzerland vs Canada, June 25New Zealand vs Belgium, June 27Round of 32 (1B v 3EFGIJ), July 3Round of 16 (W85 v W87), July 8
World Cup capability: 52,497.
Gillette Stadium in Foxborough is the house of the New England Patriots and has been since 2002.
It was constructed alongside the unique Foxboro Stadium, which hosted matches at each the 1994 males’s World Cup, together with Argentine legend Diego Maradona’s last look on the event, and the 1999 Girls’s World Cup, together with a semifinal.
The Matildas performed their opening match on the stadium in that 1999 World Cup, a Julie Murray objective serving to the Matildas to a 1-1 draw in opposition to Ghana regardless of the African facet enjoying for over an hour with 10 gamers.
Julie Murray scored for the Matildas on the previous Foxboro Stadium in a World Cup match. (Getty Photos: Allsport/Jamie Squire)
The stadium was redeveloped all through 2022 and 2023, with enhancements together with a 2,000 square-metre curved-radius high-definition video display screen, the most important in the USA, and a lighthouse at one finish.
The bottom would not have a roof although, which, given the propensity for dangerous climate in New England year-round, ought to in all probability have been a extra urgent concern.
Haiti vs Scotland, June 15Iraq vs Norway, June 17Scotland vs Morocco, June 20England vs Ghana, June 24Norway vs France, June 27Round of 32 (1E v 3ABCDF), June 30Quarterfinal (W89 v W90), July 10
World Cup capability: 64,146.
The largest of the lot at this 12 months’s World Cup, the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is the gargantuan house of the Dallas Cowboys.
Nicknamed Jerry World after Cowboys proprietor Jerry Jones, the stadium can cater for greater than 100,000 spectators at full capability (the very best common season NFL attendance was 105,121), though it’s unusually restricted to 70,649 for the World Cup.
The whole venture price a complete of $US1.15 billion ($1.61 billion), funded by Jones, the NFL and the tax {dollars} of the residents of the Metropolis of Arlington.
Two 91-metre excessive arches assist a retractable roof that may doubtless stay closed throughout the event, given the common Arlington temperature in July is 35 levels Celsius.
Arlington hosted matches on the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2025. (Getty Photos: AMA/Catherine Ivill)
Enjoyable reality, the primary occasion to be hosted on the stadium wasn’t an American Soccer recreation, however back-to-back soccer matches within the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Costa Rica beat Guadeloupe, 5–1 after which Mexico beat Haiti 4–0 in two quarterfinal matches in entrance of a crowd listed at 85,000.
Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez has fought twice on the venue, knocking out English fighters Liam Smith and Billy Joe Saunders in 2016 and 2021 respectively, a foul omen maybe for England’s second group recreation in opposition to Croatia.
Netherlands vs Japan, June 15England vs Croatia, June 18Argentina vs Austria, June 23Japan vs Sweden, June 26Jordan vs Argentina, June 28Round of 32 (2E v 2I), July 1Round of 32 (2D v 2G), July 4Round of 16 (W83 v W84), July 7Semifinal (W97 v W98), July 15
World Cup capability: 70,649.
From the within, this floor seems to be like another 48,000-capacity soccer stadium would anticipate to look.
However from the skin, the Estadio Guadalajara, recognized domestically by its sponsor identify Estadio Akron or Estadio Chivas, is an absolute magnificence and one of many extra distinctive venues in world sport.
Squint a bit bit, and you would consider that you just’re heading right into a volcano to look at a soccer recreation. (Getty Photos: Jam Media/Emiliano Morales)
In keeping with the Bid Ebook, the stadium was designed by Jean Marie Massaud and Daniel Pouzet to imitate a volcano, with grass-banked sides rising up across the fringe of the stands, capped by a white roof that symbolises a cloud.
It is a actually lovely venue meant to merge into the encompassing protected forest and nature reserve.
Guadalajara is the house of boxing legend Canelo Álvarez, and he fought British fighter John Ryder on the stadium for the undisputed tremendous middleweight titles in 2023. The hometown fighter received by unanimous determination after a crushingly efficient show of punching.
South Korea vs Czechia, June 12Mexico vs South Korea, June 19Colombia vs Democratic Republic of Congo, June 24Uruguay vs Spain, June 27
World Cup capability: 45,664.
The stadium, as soon as often known as Reliant Stadium, now referred to as NRG Stadium, however quickly to be renamed Reliant Stadium, is one other US stadium with a retractable roof, the primary within the NFL.
Dwelling of the Houston Texans, the stadium was opened in 2002 and has since hosted two Tremendous Bowls, in 2004 and 2017.
The stadium is the house of the Houston Rodeo, which not many different stadiums can say, I suppose, however except for that, there’s little to say about this stadium apart from it is fairly huge, which figures — it is in Texas, in spite of everything.
Discover me a extra American scene than a flag-carrying cowgirl, I am going to wait. (Getty Photos: Houston Chronicle/Jason Fochtman)
Germany vs Curaçao, June 15Portugal vs Democratic Republic of Congo, June 18Netherlands vs Sweden, June 21Portugal vs Uzbekistan, June 24Cabo Verde vs Saudi Arabia, June 27Round of 32 (1C v 2F), June 30Round of 16 (W73 v W75), July 5
World Cup capability 68,777.
I do not actually perceive why this cannot be simply referred to as Arrowhead Stadium, given Arrowhead is just not a sponsor identify (the official identify is GEHA Discipline at Arrowhead Stadium, however no person’s received time for that).
Anyway, the open-air stadium is the long-term house of the NFL’s Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and has been since 1972.
Popular culture followers will know the Chiefs because the workforce that Mr Taylor Swift (Travis Kelce) performs for.
The stadium (or moderately, the Chiefs followers) is absurdly loud — the supporters have hit a recorded noise stage of 142.2 decibels throughout an NFL match in 2014.
Arrowhead Stadium is an atmospheric place at the perfect of occasions. (Getty Photos: Icon Sportswire/Scott Winters)
In keeping with the American Academy of Audiology, being topic to this stage of noise is painful and instantly harmful to human listening to, equal to standing 30 metres away from a jet engine or subsequent to a firework.
Argentina vs Algeria, June 17Ecuador vs Curaçao, June 21Tunisia vs Netherlands, June 26Algeria vs Austria, June 28Round of 32 (1K v 3DEIJL), July 4Quarterfinal (W95 v W96), July 12
World Cup capability: 69,045.
The multi-award-winning SoFi Stadium is the house of each the LA Rams and LA Raiders, hosted the 2022 Tremendous Bowl and can host the 2027 occasion too.
Maybe extra extremely, it will be the showpiece stadium for the 2028 Olympics, internet hosting the opening ceremony and, considerably remarkably, the swimming occasions on the Video games.
It is clear to see why the stadium has received awards, with a beautiful, eye-catching cover extending throughout the roof and down over a plaza and a smaller occasions venue to some extent in a single nook.
That cover incorporates hundreds of LEDs that mix to create an superior spectacle exterior.
SoFi Stadium is simply as spectacular inside as out. (Getty Photos: Luiza Moraes)
USA vs Paraguay, June 13Iran vs New Zealand, June 16Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, June 19Belgium vs Iran, June 22Türkiye vs USA, June 26Round of 32 (2A v 2B), June 29Round of 32 (1H v 2J), July 3Quarterfinal (W93 v W94), July 11
World Cup capability: 70,492.
No one of their proper thoughts ought to name this something apart from the Azteca Stadium, host of World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986, that includes two of the best gamers to ever stroll the Earth, Pelé’s Brazil in 1970 and Argentina’s Maradona in 1986.
However such is the fashionable method of issues, the Azteca has been lowered to the tasteless, boring title of Mexico Metropolis Stadium.
Even worse, the primary stadium to host two World Cup finals will host simply 5 video games throughout the event, a slight maybe mollified by it enjoying host to the opening recreation.
Pelé was Brazil’s hero in 1970 on the Azteca. (Getty Photos: Alessandro Sabattini)
Diego Armando Maradona lifted the World Cup on the Azteca in 1986. (Getty Photos)
The Azteca was constructed for Mexico’s internet hosting of the 1968 Olympic Video games, however solely hosted the soccer event, which was received by Hungary.
The historic athletics competitors at these Video games, which featured the well-known stand in opposition to racism by American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, with Australian Peter Norman enjoying a supporting position, in addition to Bob Beamon’s absurd 8.90m lengthy bounce, occurred on the Estadio Olímpico Universitario.
The stadium additionally hosted the ultimate of the non-FIFA recognised 1971 Girls’s World Cup, received by Denmark in entrance of a crowd of over 110,000.
Sponsorship causes dictate that exterior of the World Cup takeover, this storied previous floor must be often known as the Estadio Banorte, however industrial won’t ever boring the sight of Maradona weaving his method by means of a damaged swathe of England defenders on his technique to scoring the objective of the century, nor him elevating his arm to punch the ball previous Peter Shilton within the incident that may without end be often known as the Hand of God.
Mexico vs South Africa, June 12Uzbekistan vs Colombia, June 18Czechia vs Mexico, June 25Round of 32 (1A v 3CEFHI), July 1Round of 16 (W79 v W80), July 6
World Cup capability: 80,824.
Onerous Rock Stadium is perhaps among the many most versatile of all of the stadiums internet hosting matches at this World Cup.
Since opening in 1987, it has hosted no fewer than six Tremendous Bowls, two World Collection, Method 1’s Miami Grand Prix and the Miami Open tennis event.
It has additionally hosted an enormous array of different occasions and is among the three stadiums at this World Cup that has hosted a Canelo Álvarez boxing match (he beat Avni Yildirim right here in 2021).
Having hosted the dramatic last of the 2024 Copa América between Argentina and Colombia, the bottom must be higher ready for intense supporters this time round.
Count on loads of color in Miami. (Getty Photos: FIFA/Carmen Mandato)
Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay, June 16Uruguay vs Cabo Verde, June 22Scotland vs Brazil, June 25Colombia vs Portugal, June 28Round of 32 (1J v 2H), July 4Quarterfinal (W91 v W92), July 12Third-place match (RU101 v RU102), July 19
World Cup capability: 64,478.
There are stadiums at this World Cup, after which there are Stadiums. That is the latter.
Formally the Estadio BBVA, anybody who has ever had a photograph of a stadium pop up on their socials feed will doubtless have seen this enviornment’s most spectacular view.
Its nickname, El Gigante de Acero, or the metal big, is hardly evocative of magnificence, however the magnificence on this floor is what you’ll be able to see past it — particularly in the event you’re sitting within the north west quadrant.
The surroundings across the Estadio Monterrey barely seems to be actual. (Getty Photos: FIFA/Hector Vivas)
From there, the magisterial forested peak of the Cerro de la Silla rises up behind the curved metal roof in all its glory, giving rise to sufficient Instagram fodder to occupy even essentially the most avid poster.
And even when metal is just not your factor, it is exhausting to not discover actual pleasure within the curves of the particular stadium, a metal slipper enveloping the world’s recreation inside its folds.
Each view of the Monterrey stadium delivers a brand new slice of pleasure. (Getty Photos: FIFA/Hector Vivas)
Pleasingly, it is also a inexperienced stadium, being the primary stadium in North America to obtain a silver certification from the Management in Power and Environmental Design for its sustainable design.
The one disappointment? Considered one of Mexico’s most lovely stadiums will host simply 4 matches at this event, robbing extra supporters of the possibility to witness its gorgeous backdrop.
Sweden vs Tunisia, June 15Tunisia vs Japan, June 22South Africa vs South Korea, June 25Round of 32 (1F v 2C), June 30
World Cup capability: 51,243.
MetLife Stadium or The New Meadowlands is among the most spectacular stadiums in all of America, internet hosting town’s NFL franchises, the New York Giants and Jets.
It’s so spectacular that the NFL made an exception and hosted the Tremendous Bowl right here regardless of there being a coverage of solely enjoying them in outside stadiums in southern states on account of the February climate.
It price sufficient to construct, although, $US1.6 billion ($2.2 billion) when it was accomplished in 2010, however apparently that price did not embrace sufficient for a roof over the stands or any public transport price a dime to get on the market from the Manhattan metropolis.
It has hosted loads of huge soccer matches, together with the 2016 Copa América Centenario last the place Chile beat Argentina on penalties, and likewise noticed Chelsea win the Membership World Cup last final 12 months — or did President Donald Trump win that? It was exhausting to inform, given how lengthy he spent on the podium after handing over the trophy.
MetLife Stadium has hosted loads of soccer in its time. (Getty Photos: Premier League/Jordan Financial institution)
Brazil vs Morocco, June 14France vs Senegal, June 17Norway vs Senegal, June 23Ecuador vs Germany, June 26Panama vs England, June 28Round of 32 (1I v 3CDFGH), July 1Round of 16 (W76 v W78), July 6Final (W101 v W102), July 20
World Cup capability: 80,663.
Lincoln Monetary Discipline is the house of American soccer workforce the Philadelphia Eagles, however its first official occasion was a soccer match between Manchester United and Barcelona in 2003.
Soccer has been a daily tenant on the floor, with eight matches of the Membership World Cup happening there final 12 months and 4 group video games on the 2003 Girls’s World Cup.
One other stadium with minimal roofing for spectators, what little roof this stadium has is meant to evoke the wings of an eagle — though something the scale of America’s nationwide fowl goes to want a far larger wingspan than that to take off.
Lincoln Monetary Discipline placed on a present on the Membership World Cup final 12 months. (Getty Photos: Jonathan Moscrop)
Côte d’Ivoire vs Ecuador, June 15Brazil vs Haiti, June 20France vs Iraq, June 23Curaçao vs Côte d’Ivoire, June 26Croatia vs Ghana, June 28Round of 16 (W74 v W77), July 5
World Cup capability: 68,324.
One other venture that exceeded $US1 billion, Levi’s Stadium is a spectacular venue in Santa Clara, about 60 kilometres south of San Francisco.
It has already hosted two Tremendous Bowls, together with the newest one in February this 12 months, and can be the place the Socceroos tackle Paraguay in what might be a vital conflict.
The structure of the bottom is gorgeous, permitting for clear sightlines and an enormous decrease bowl that holds two-thirds of the capability at anybody time, whereas company bins line up on one facet of the bottom, giving it a barely lopsided look.
The stadium was the primary within the USA to obtain a Gold LEED (Management in Power and Environmental Design) Certificates and has made an emphasis on being inexperienced.
Levi’s Stadium hosted Tremendous Bowl LX in February. (Getty Photos: Perry Knotts)
Nonetheless, there have been some points, together with with the close by San Jose Worldwide Airport, with pilots reportedly complaining about being disoriented by the lights and scoreboard as they arrive in to land.
The proximity to the airport creates one other problem, too, with followers left uncovered to the weather by a scarcity of overhanging roof and a number of instances of warmth stress. Why cannot a roof be placed on? Properly, there is a peak restrict imposed on account of close by flight paths.
Qatar vs Switzerland, June 14Austria vs Jordan, June 18Türkiye vs Paraguay, June 20Jordan vs Algeria, June 23Paraguay vs Australia, June 26Round of 32 (1D v 3BEFIJ), July 2
World Cup capability: 68,827.
The house of the Seattle Seahawks is sort of assured to rock your world, fairly actually, when it hosts matches.
The inner-city floor now often known as Lumen Discipline has had quite a few bouts of seismic exercise related to motion that has taken place there, a testomony to the eagerness of the twelfth man supporters, who twice registered the loudest noise ever recorded at an out of doors stadium.
However it’s not solely Seahawks video games that encourage such ardour — the Seattle Sounders soccer workforce has additionally provoked sufficient ambiance to tweak the seismographs and, at a Taylor Swift live performance, tremors equal to a magnitude-2.3 earthquake had been recorded.
The Socceroos followers get their probability to match that stage of ardour once they tackle the USA on June 20.
The north finish of the stadium options an open view of the Seattle skyline and a singular pyramid-shaped part of seats, upon which a tower rises that enhances the cityscape behind it.
Seattle Stadium sits within the industrial district simply exterior the primary downtown space. (Getty Photos: Steph Chambers)
Belgium vs Egypt, June 16USA vs Australia, June 20Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar, June 25Egypt vs Iran, June 27Round of 32 (1G v 3AEHIJ), July 2Round of 16 (W81 v W82), July 7
World Cup capability: 66,925.
BMO Discipline, the house of Toronto FC in Main League Soccer, is the smallest of all of the stadiums for use at this 12 months’s World Cup.
In truth, 17,000 short-term seats are being added only for this 12 months’s event to convey the stadium as much as dimension.
Dimension is not the whole lot, although, and that is recognised as Canada’s nationwide stadium and is among the few football-specific stadiums within the nation.
The Toronto Stadium has grown from a small cpacity football-specific floor to carry 45,000 at this World Cup. (Getty Photos: FIFA/Alex Pantling)
Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, June 13Ghana vs Panama, June 18Germany vs Côte d’Ivoire, June 21Panama vs Croatia, June 24Senegal vs Iraq, June 27Round of 32 (2K v 2L), July 3
World Cup capability: 43,036.
These stadiums listed above are the fortunate 16 that may host matches at this 12 months’s event.
However there have been initially 9 others listed within the bid doc that did not make the reduce.
Stadiums in Baltimore, Cincinnati, Denver, Nashville, Orlando and Washington DC didn’t make the ultimate record of venues within the USA, whereas Los Angeles’s unique proposal was to host matches on the historic Rose Bowl stadium.
The Montréal Olympic Stadium was not given the nod. (Getty Photos: Tom Szczerbowski)
Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium and the spectacular Montréal Olympic Stadium had been the 2 different proposed stadiums in Canada that weren’t chosen.
Six of these stadiums had capacities of over 60,000, which reveals simply what number of high-end venues the organisers had at their disposal.
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