Fifa World Cup 2026: your guide to all 16 host cities

The 2026 Fifa World Cup will be a unique event in the history of this iconic football tournament, with an expanded 48-team format taking place over 39 days and an entire continent – with Canada, Mexico and the USA co-hosting.  

Kicking off on 11 June, 104 games will be played in 16 cities – from chilly Vancouver to hot and humid Miami, 4,500km away. Check the full match schedule here , and as you think about planning an unforgettable trip in the new year, here’s your primer on each of the host cities and their footballing heritage. 

Canada

Toronto 

Population: 3.3 million 

Nickname: The Six 

Host of Canada’s first game in a World Cup qualifier in 1957, Toronto is the country’s spiritual centre for football. It’s also home to émigré fans from around the world who rally behind Toronto FC, the nation’s first team to enter North America’s Major League Soccer (MLS). 

Vancouver

Population: 2.6 million

Nickname: Gastown 
 
The northernmost of the host cities, Canada’s west coast metropolis is a place where mountains and oceans meet a vibrant cosmopolitan cityscape. Nature is never far away – explore Stanley Park, Granville Island, savour oysters and live by nature – because here, seasons are everything.

Mexico

Guadalajara

Population: 1.4 million

Nickname: Tapatíos 

It’s a hat trick for Guadalajara, as Mexico’s western hub previously hosted World Cup matches in 1970 and 1986, as well as during the Mexico 1968 Olympic Games and 2011 Pan American Games. Beyond this sporting legacy, it’s a delightfully traditional city, known for its laidback pace of life and lively street scene.

Mexico City

Population: 9 million

Nickname: Chilangolandia

The second-largest metropolitan area in the Western Hemisphere, Mexico City hosts the opening game, 2,240 metres above sea level, in the stunning, storied, 87,500-capacity Estadio Azteca, where Brazil’s Pelé (1970) and Argentina’s Diego Maradona (1986) lifted the World Cup. 

Monterrey

Population: 1.1 million 

Nickname: Sultan of the North

Mexico’s northern hub is at the heart of the country’s football folklore, home to two rival teams – C.F. Monterrey (Rayados) and Tigres UANL (Los Felinos) – so expect the quartet of group games played at the 54,000-seat Estadio BBVA to be nothing short of deafening.

USA  

Atlanta 

Population: 520,000

Nickname: The Big Peach 

In the American South’s spiritual heart, pay tribute at Martin Luther King’s birthplace and celebrate the city’s musical pedigree from Ray Charles and Outkast to TLC and Janelle Monáe. Eight World Cup games, including the second semi-final, will be played at the 75,000-seat Mercedez-Benz Stadium.

Boston

Population: 673,000 

Nickname: Beantown

Boston is a town obsessed with sport – home to the Red Sox, the Celtics, the Bruins and the Patriots. MLS’s The New England Revolution may not be etched into the psyche quite as deeply, but with talks underway for a purpose-built football stadium in the city, that could quickly change. 

Dallas 

Population: 1.3 million 

Nickname: Big D 

We all know that everything is bigger in Dallas, including The Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium. As the competition’s largest stadium with a capacity of 93,000, it’s set to host nine matches – more than any other venue – including the first of the semi-finals. 

Houston 

Population: 2.4 million

Nickname: Space City 

Houston was one of the first US cities to go big with soccer, with Houston Dynamo FC claiming two consecutive MLS titles in 2006 and 2007 – just a decade after the league’s founding. A distinct spin of Southern charm is guaranteed.

Kansas City 

Population: 516,000

Nickname: City of Fountains

Long immortalised as a destination of delight in that old blues song “Kansas City”, this Midwestern town is set to welcome thousands of football fans arriving by train or plane. Soccer is booming here, thanks to MLS’s double-winning founding team Sporting Kansas City.

Los Angeles 

Population: 3.8 million

Nickname: City of Angels

Home not just to Hollywood, Los Angeles is also the US’s undisputed mecca of soccer glory, with LA Galaxy claiming six MLS titles in 30 seasons to date. The Los Angeles Rams SoFi Stadium was once in the running for the World Cup final; instead, it will host two Team USA group games.

Miami 

Population: 487,000

Nickname: Gateway to the Americas 

Florida’s famously fiery, multicultural entrepot is the only city to host two of the competition’s final three rounds – with a quarter-final and the third-place playoff, taking place at the 65,000-seat Hard Rock Stadium. 

New York and New Jersey 

Population: 8.5 million (New York City); 20 million (New York); 9.5 million (New Jersey

Nickname: The Big Apple; The Garden State

Don’t worry, trendsetting New York City hasn’t been subsumed into the industrial heartland of The Sopranos. However, due to licensing deals, the World Cup Final will take place at the MetLife Stadium – technically in New Jersey, but only 10km from downtown Manhattan. Fans can also look forward to a Super Bowl-style half-time show.

Philadelphia 

Population: 1.6 million

Nickname: The City of Brotherly Love

Despite being better known for its Super Bowl-winning NFL team, the Eagles, the multi-purpose Lincoln Financial Field was inaugurated in 2003 with a sold-out match between Manchester United and FC Barcelona. 

Seattle 

Population: 817,000

Nickname: Emerald City

The birthplace of tech titans, grunge and third-wave coffee, Seattle is also home to double MLS winners Seattle Sounders FC, who boast some of the country’s most ardent supporters. 

San Francisco Bay Area 

Population: 828,000 (San Francisco); 7.7 million (Bay Area)

Nickname: Fog City 

Another confusing “city” name, as six games will be played not in San Francisco but at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. For this tournament only, they’ve called it the San Francisco Bay Area, cleverly invoking the iconic city beloved for its sourdough, cable cars and the oldest Chinatown in North America.