FIFA, along with CONCACAF, have visited other potential venues for the 2026 World Cup. A final decision is expected next spring.
| Photo: AFP |
The tournament, which will be held in five years, will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. The delegation visited Boston, Nashville, Atlanta, Orlando, Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Miami, the New York area, New Jersey in September, and now Kansas City, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Monterey, San Francisco and finally to Seattle. By the end of November, Mexico City, Guadalajara, Los Angeles, Edmonton and Toronto will be scrutinized.
Colin Smith, the senior official in charge of FIFA competitions and events, said the final list of venues is expected in late March, early April. The expert added that after visiting each site, they felt that their work was getting more and more difficult, which was a problem and a joy on the one hand.
For the first time in the history of the tournament, 48 teams will be able to participate in the 2026 World Championships, in addition to the large field, it will be a challenge for the hosts because there were no such geographical distances between places before. Smith said they are currently considering holding matches in 16 cities, but that has yet to be determined.
FIFA considers several stadiums to be potential candidates for artificial turf, but this is not an exclusionary reason, although the rules require that World Cup matches be played on natural ground. If necessary, replacement of whole grass or mixed solution may be considered.
