The World Cup is coming to North America in 2026 - The joint bid of the U.S., Mexico and Canada defeated Morocco in a landslide vote by 200 national soccer federations. According to reports, the North America bid captured 134 votes, whiled Morocco earned just 65. The only federation that chose "neither" was Iran.
As part of the U.S., Canada, Mexico bid, 60 of the 80 games will be played in the United States, including all matches from the quarterfinals to the championship match, while Canada and Mexico will host 10 games apiece, according to reports. The 2026 World Cup final is expected to be played at MetLife Stadium, just outside of New York City.
According to the New York Times, the North Americans' biggest selling point was the amount of revenue the tournament will generate, promising FIFA a record $11 billion profit which could mean as much as $50 million for each national association. The World Cup field will expand to 48 teams for the first time at the 2026 tournament, as opposed traditional 32-team format. It will also mark the first time in FIFA's history that a three-nation bid has been awarded the world's biggest sporting event.
The last time the men’s World Cup was in North America was when the United States hosted in 1994. Mexico hosted in 1970 and 1986, and Canada has never had the honor.
This year's World Cup tournament, being held in Russia, is scheduled to kickoff tomorrow, June 14th and will conclude on July 15th.