2026 World Cup venues: Where are games held?

Where are the 2026 FIFA World Cup venues and games being held?

Atlanta

Atlanta is bracing to host World Cup fans from around the globe and has something for everyone to enjoy. Visitors should prepare for June and July temperatures averaging nearly 90 degrees, but the city known for its sports culture and Southern hospitality is ready to host one of the world’s largest sporting events.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, renamed Atlanta Stadium in accordance with FIFA regulations, will host eight matches, starting with group-stage matches in mid-June and ending with a semifinal match on July 15.

Boston

After more than 30 years, the World Cup is back in Boston.

Or at least, it’s nearby. World Cup games will be hosted in the small town of Foxborough — about 30 miles south of “Beantown” — for the first time since 1994, when the now-demolished Foxboro Stadium hosted eventual runner-up Italy’s 2-1 win over Spain in the quarterfinals.

Boston/Foxborough also hosted Women’s World Cup matches in 1999 and 2003, the latter at the current Gillette Stadium, which opened in 2002 and is home to the NFL’s New England Patriots.

Gillette Stadium (renamed Boston Stadium for the World Cup in accordance with FIFA regulations) also is no stranger to some of soccer’s biggest stars. Lionel Messi played here during the 2016 Copa America Centenario and in MLS matches for Inter Miami in 2024 and 2025. Other notable stars include Luis Suárez and Sergio Busquets.

Dallas

The Dallas Cowboys were hopeful the World Cup final would end up in their stadium. They settled for the consolation prize of more matches than any of the 16 sites in the event co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

There are nine matches at the retractable roof venue with the giant video board hanging over the field in suburban Arlington, capped by a semifinal on July 14. The first match is exactly a month earlier, Japan vs. the Netherlands on June 14.

World Cup heavyweights Argentina and England both have matches at Dallas Stadium, normally known as AT&T Stadium.

Guadalajara

The people of Guadalajara like to brag about it being the most Mexican city in the country. And perhaps they’re right. After all, the state of Jalisco, where the western city is located, is the birthplace of the mariachi band and tequila.

Besides the music and the famous drink, Guadalajara is a city of stunning colonial beauty and deep-rooted passion for soccer, having already hosted two World Cups in 1970 and 1986. However, security concerns arose following a federal military operation in late February that resulted in the death of CJNG drug cartel leader Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes.

Local and federal authorities, as well as FIFA officials, have expressed confidence in the city’s security for the World Cup.

Last March, the city hosted two matches of the intercontinental playoff, and more than 80,000 fans attended without incident.

Houston

Houston hosts the FIFA World Cup for the first time this summer. Visitors should prepare for intense heat and humidity, with June temperatures around 90 degrees.

The Johnson Space Center and the Museum District are must-see attractions. The Astrodome, near NRG Stadium, offers a slice of history. Houston’s food scene is famous for BBQ and Tex-Mex, with spots like Truth BBQ and The Original Ninfa’s.

The FIFA Fan Festival runs from June 11 to July 19 in East downtown. The METRORail Red Line provides easy access to NRG Stadium, where matches will be held.

Kansas City

More than three decades ago, Lamar Hunt and his son Clark stood on the field inside Arrowhead Stadium, trying to pitch FIFA on the prospect that their NFL stadium could play host to World Cup games hosted by the U.S. in the summer of 1994.

Their pitch back in 1990 didn’t work. Or at the very least, the results took quite a while to come to fruition.

But now, after the Kansas City Chiefs poured millions of dollars into altering their 53-year-old stadium so that it could fit the field dimensions required by soccer’s global governing body, the dream of the Hunt family is about to become a reality. Their stadium will host six pool-play games beginning next month, along with a round of 32 match and a World Cup quarterfinal.

“Clark has been keen on really living that legacy, finding a way for Kansas City and Arrowhead Stadium specifically to host World Cup matches,” Matt Kenny, the Chiefs’ executive vice president of operations and events, said Monday during a stadium tour.

The first match at Arrowhead Stadium will feature defending champion Argentina against Algeria on June 16. Ecuador and Curacao will play the following week, while Tunisia will play the Netherlands and Algeria will face Austria later in pool play.

The two knockout games are scheduled for July 3 and July 11, after which Arrowhead Stadium will revert to a football stadium.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles is famous for its sun, sand and surf, celebrity sightings, and an endless variety of food and entertainment.

It’s set to become a World Cup site again. The 1994 men’s final was played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, which also hosted the 1999 women’s final.

Los Angeles is hosting eight matches, including the U.S. opener vs. Paraguay on June 12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, which is being called Los Angeles Stadium during the World Cup.

Los Angeles County has the largest foreign-born population of any U.S. county. ICE enforcement actions in recent months have targeted public locales and resulted in thousands of arrests. Visitors will also notice the city’s long-running homeless crisis and the highest gas prices in the country.

Mexico City

Mexico City, the most populous city in North America, is a vibrant, bustling metropolis that blends rich history with modern culture.

Whether you are marveling at ancient ruins or enjoying contemporary art, there is a palpable energy in the air and it will be present during the World Cup this summer.

With a metropolitan area of some 23.1 million people, traffic congestion is quite intense during rush hours, especially in the area near Azteca Stadium. The city has pollution issues that could also be a problem for fans with respiratory conditions. Remember, too, that the city is at an altitude over 7,300 feet (2,240 meters), which may require some acclimatization for visitors.

Miami

Welcome to South Florida, home of the three-time NBA champion Miami Heat, two-time Super Bowl champion Miami Dolphins, two-time World Series champion Miami Marlins and two-time Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

Oh, and reigning MLS Cup champion Inter Miami. That means this World Cup is coming to Lionel Messi’s neighborhood.

Messi and defending champion Argentina aren’t locks to play in Miami Gardens during this World Cup; if Argentina wins Group J, as many will likely expect, it would play the runner-up from Group H in a Round of 32 game on July 3.

The only other possible pathway for Messi to play in South Florida during the World Cup is if Argentina loses a semifinal and ends up in the third-place match.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s team, however, is certain to have at least one match in Miami Gardens. Among the teams guaranteed to play in South Florida at some point in this World Cup: Scotland, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay, Cape Verde, Colombia and Portugal — Ronaldo’s squad.

That is a melting pot of teams, with Asia, Africa, South America and Europe all represented.

Monterrey

World Cup fans visiting Monterrey can expect a cutting-edge soccer stadium, searing heat and some of northern Mexico’s best grilled food.

The northern city is ready to showcase its industrial grit and mountain majesty for the 2026 World Cup, but fans should prepare for a climate that is as intense as the local football passion. While the city is a modern powerhouse, the June and July temperatures often soar past 100 F (38 C), making hydration and sun protection essential for visitors.

The people of Monterrey are very friendly and almost always very kind to visitors from other countries. They demonstrated this during the intercontinental playoff, especially with Iraq, that qualified for the World Cup in that city.

New York/New Jersey

New York and New Jersey will host eight matches throughout the World Cup at the stadium in the Meadowlands that belongs to the NFL’s Jets and Giants.

That includes the final on July 19.

It’s the latest big event for the venue, a dozen years since the Super Bowl was played there. The high price tag of getting to and from the stadium has dominated the leadup to the World Cup, with round-trip trains between Manhattan and East Rutherford going for $98 a match and shuttles for $20. Fan zones will also be available in each of New York City’s five boroughs and also in New Jersey.

Philadelphia

Get set for a dose of American history when the World Cup hits Philadelphia this summer.

A famously cracked bell, a weathered fictional fighter and cheesesteaks are all part of the sports menu during the six matches held at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the two-time Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

Five group stage games will be held at the 69,000-capacity stadium, featuring heavywights like Brazil and France along with Ecuador, Haiti, Curaçao, Croatia, Ghana and Ivory Coast.

The big one comes in the knockout round, a Fourth of July match exactly 250 years after the United States’ Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia.

Santa Clara

The Bay Area loves its big sporting events.

With the NBA All-Star Game, Super Bowl and now World Cup all in a 16-month span, Northern California has been a non-stop host.

And never before has the same stadium held the Super Bowl and World Cup in the same year — now Levi’s Stadium, home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, will do so.

Santa Clara is set to host six World Cup games, five in the group stage and one in the knockout round. First up on June 13 features Qatar against Switzerland.

Seattle

Few cities in North America can lay claim to better summer weather than Seattle, neatly nestled in the Pacific Northwest with sunny skies and little humidity after Memorial Day.

But the Emerald City, which will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the first time in its history, is a destination city for more reasons beyond its temperate climate.

Toronto

Toronto, one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world, will host six World Cup games, including the first-ever such match in Canada on June 12.

The host country will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in that opening match. Ghana plays Panama on June 17, Germany plays Côte d’Ivoire on June 20, Croatia faces Panama on June 23 and Senegal plays Iraq on June 26. Toronto also hosts a round of 32 match on July 2.

Vancouver

Vancouver, British Columbia, is no stranger to big events.

The city in western Canada hosted the Winter Olympics in 2010, then it hosted matches — including the final — during the Women’s World Cup in 2015. BC Place figured prominently in both events, including serving as the site of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Vancouver Games.

For the men’s World Cup this summer, the city’s downtown stadium will host seven matches, five in the group stage and two knockout-round games. The Canadian national team will play two of its first-round matches at BC Place.

Some 3 million people live in Vancouver and the surrounding areas, so there’s plenty to do besides the soccer.