Sunday 29 / December / 2024
Zurich : A significant milestone on the road to the FIFA World Cup 2026 was reached on Friday as the 16 host cities that are due to stage matches at the first edition of football's showpiece to feature 48 teams were unveiled by FIFA.
The highly anticipated announcement was made on a TV show from New York and broadcast live to host countries Canada, Mexico and the USA, as well as the whole world via FIFA+. FIFA's flagship event is heading back to the Americas for the first time since 1994. It will be the first time the World Cup will be shared by three different countries.
The 16 host cities are:
United States: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle.
Mexico: Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey.
Canada: Toronto and Vancouver.
"We congratulate the 16 FIFA World Cup Host Cities on their outstanding commitment and passion. Today is a historic day - for everyone in those cities and states, for FIFA, for Canada, the USA and Mexico who will put on the greatest show on Earth. We look forward to working together with them to deliver what will be an unprecedented FIFA World Cup and a game-changer as we strive to make football truly global," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino in a statement.
"We were delighted by the unparalleled competitiveness of this selection process. We are extremely grateful not only to the 16 cities that have been selected, but also to the other six - with whom we look forward to continuing to engage and explore additional opportunities to welcome fans and participating teams. This has always been a FIFA World Cup of three countries, and that undoubtedly will have a tremendous impact on the whole region and the wider football community," added FIFA Vice President and Concacaf President Victor Montagliani.
