As the host cities for the 2026 World Cup were revealed on Thursday, FIFA President Gianni Infantino cautioned Canada, Mexico, and the United States to brace for a “football invasion.” As the event returns to North America for the first time since the 1994 championships, the number of participating teams will increase from 32 to 48, a record number.
On Thursday, 16 locations were announced, including 11 in the United States, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada.
The $5 billion SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and the New York Giants’ 82,000-seat MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford are contenders to host the championship game.
Sixty of the tournament’s eighty games, including all knockout games from the quarterfinals on, will be played in the United States.
In addition to Monterrey and Guadalajara, the legendary Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, which hosted the World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986, was chosen among three Mexican venues.
Vancouver and Toronto will host the Canadian tournament games.
