2026 World Cup awarded to US, Mexico, Canada

[left_hook_lacey]

Will there be a tariff involved?

<ducks, runs>

I heard they were building a new stadium for the final and naming it, "The NAFTA". The North American Football Tournament Association.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

In 2002 when Japan and South Korea co-hosted they were both in the World Cup - I think they were given automatic berths but they might have qualified. If the field was staying at its current size having US, Mexico and Canada all get automatic bids might have been challenging, but with the planned expansion, I'm guessing they will give them all automatic bids, particularly because the US and Mexico likely would be getting in anyway (though this year shows that nothing is guaranteed).

If I recall, the bid team's final proposal suggested an increased number of games going to Mexico and Canada to de-emphasize American involvement, since many countries aren't currently big fans of ours. However, I think FIFA has the final say.

As a New Yorker, I would love for the final to be here. I assume DC is a strong possibility also, particularly given that there are some rumblings of a new stadium for the Redskins, and LA, either in the Rose Bowl or the new football stadium that is under construction. Chicago apparently asked not to be considered to host any games. I think Philly and Baltimore will get squeezed by their proximity to NY, DC and New England, the same might happen to Nashville due to Atlanta, and Miami and Orlando at best is an either/or.

The travel distances between venues has the potential to be a real headache - back-to-back games in Toronto or New England followed by Mexico City would not be easy. I don't know how much they can regionalize things, such as having Dallas and LA be affiliated with Mexican venues and northern American venues be closely tied to Canadian hosts.

[cato]

Carts and horses and all that: who wants to bet USMNT has to play a game in Azteca?

[Highlander]

Just to add a plug for the American Outlaws - if you are a US Soccer fan, you need to join this group. I went to a recent friendly in Cary and sat with this group (after meeting DWine) and had a blast. It was the closest thing to sitting in the student section at Cameron that I have ever experienced. I will admit that at 40+, I needed a couple of beers to get into the cheering action.

Outlaw members get bulk ticket discounts and their own section. And it's a phenomenal group of soccer fans, with chapters in most major metropolitan areas.

https://www.theamericanoutlaws.com/

[BigWayne]

Carts and horses and all that: who wants to bet USMNT has to play a game in Azteca?

I saw something this morning about how the bid committee had promised to deliver $11 billion to FIFA. The US team will almost certainly be scheduled in the stadiums that can bring in the highest gate. Based on targeting the finals/semis for NY/Dallas and the opener for LA, I would bet the USMNT plays its two group games in LA and Washington.

[devildeac]

Our son did some preliminary ticket pricing. $431 PP.

Told him we loved him a lot but would be very happy to watch with him on his couch and buy several bombers of fancy ales to sip as we cheered the USMNT on to victories.

[JasonEvans]

More details coming out...

Mexico and Canada will each get two R32 and one R16 game. The rest of the knockout round will be in the United States. Though nothing has been finalized yet, it appears the semi finals will be in Atlanta and Dallas with the Finals in NJ, just across the river from NYC.

[YmoBeThere]

I've been to Columbus a bunch of times, so can understand why not Columbus. I haven't ever been to a Crew game so maybe I'm missing something there. I went to a few Revs games when I lived in the Boston area. But mainly I am still waiting for Pele to make his return with the Cosmos.

[Deslok]

Its real simple, various places have been great in supporting soccer, but unless they have a larger American football stadium, the World Cup won't be there. One of the selling points was the available, ready made and not to be built infrastructure and the $ the tourney could generate(as well as seats for people who want to go)

[Acymetric]

Its real simple, various places have been great in supporting soccer, but unless they have a larger American football stadium, the World Cup won't be there. One of the selling points was the available, ready made and not to be built infrastructure and the $ the tourney could generate(as well as seats for people who want to go)

100% true, but of course Ohio State's stadium has a larger capacity than most (actually, if Wikipedia is to believed, higher than all) NFL stadiums. It is, admittedly not a major tourist destination, but I'm not sure it is significantly less exciting than Kansas City, Baltimore, Philadelphia, or Cincinnati (although it is smaller than some of them).

[devildeac]

Michael Corey not gonna be happy with y'all throwing shade on Columbus...

[Truth&Justise]

Host cities announced:

JOACKLUECFCYPKMHT5CJ33S53I.jpg

11 in U.S.: Boston, New York, Phila, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, L.A., S.F. and Seattle
3 in Mexico: Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara
2 in Canada: Vancouver, Toronto

A bit of a surprise that DC didn't make the list. And Kansas City is the lone entrant from the Midwest (sorry Ohio).

No official word yet on how many games in each city or which cities will host knockout round matches.

I happen to live in one of these cities, and have a young child. Anyone know the process for getting selected as a mascot?

[DU82]

Host cities announced:

JOACKLUECFCYPKMHT5CJ33S53I.jpg

11 in U.S.: Boston, New York, Phila, Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, L.A., S.F. and Seattle
3 in Mexico: Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara
2 in Canada: Vancouver, Toronto

A bit of a surprise that DC didn't make the list. And Kansas City is the lone entrant from the Midwest (sorry Ohio).

No official word yet on how many games in each city or which cities will host knockout round matches.

I happen to live in one of these cities, and have a young child. Anyone know the process for getting selected as a mascot?

The only place in DC ‘would be the Reds—, er, - Commie’s place, and they probably couldn’t/wouldn’t make a deal with Snyder. I’m more surprised, like you, by no northern/Midwest places like Chicago or Minneapolis (or is the new Viking’s stadium roof not retractable?)

[Bluedog]

The only place in DC ‘would be the Reds—, er, - Commie’s place, and they probably couldn’t/wouldn’t make a deal with Snyder. I’m more surprised, like you, by no northern/Midwest places like Chicago or Minneapolis (or is the new Viking’s stadium roof not retractable?)

Chicago backed out early when they said they couldn't get financial guarantees from FIFA and thought it was too risky financially. Minneapolis had similar concerns. Cincy and Nashville were the other two in that area of the country in consideration before the final cut. (I realize Nashville is in the south and not Midwest, but geographically it's not super far from Midwest territory). M&T Bank in Baltimore was in the final running too (as the DC area representative), but didn't get selected.

Sounds like they're going to divide it into regions of west, central, and east to make travel easier. Although it doesn't seem totally balanced in that regard, but better than making teams fly across diagonally North America during early rounds.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Chicago backed out early when they said they couldn't get financial guarantees from FIFA and thought it was too risky financially. Minneapolis had similar concerns. Cincy and Nashville were the other two in that area of the country in consideration before the final cut. (I realize Nashville is in the south and not Midwest, but geographically it's not super far from Midwest territory). M&T Bank in Baltimore was in the final running too (as the DC area representative), but didn't get selected.

Sounds like they're going to divide it into regions of west, central, and east to make travel easier. Although it doesn't seem totally balanced in that regard, but better than making teams fly across diagonally North America during early rounds.

The regions are as follows:
East: Toronto, Boston, NY/NJ, Philly, Miami
Central: Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, KC, Monterrey, Mexico City
West: Vancouver, SF, LA, Seattle, Guadalajara

The regions will definitely simplify things somewhat as going Vancouver, Miami, Guadalajara would be a nightmare. But they still aren't very compact, and with border crossings will not be easy for fans.

Miami and KC are the two that stand out to me. I know KC is known for its soccer fans but its stadium is much older than the others and it isn't a major flight hub (though they are opening a new airport before the world cup). Miami is out of the way and also a somewhat older stadium. I know there is some mystique to the glamour of Miami but I can take it or leave it, especially in the summer. Though I'm not sure what I would replace these two with given the following list of last cuts from ESPN - I probably would have chosen Baltimore over Miami to be near DC, but others would argue it is too much of a northeast bias (I like the northeast!). On the flip side, one can argue that Boston is northeast overkill, but again, not sure what I would replace it with.

Final cuts: Baltimore, Orlando, Cincinnati, Nashville, Denver, Edmonton.

I don't think they have announced who gets the knockout round games yet, which will be interesting.

[Bluedog]

The regions are as follows:
East: Toronto, Boston, NY/NJ, Philly, Miami
Central: Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, KC, Monterrey, Mexico City
West: Vancouver, SF, LA, Seattle, Guadalajara

The regions will definitely simplify things somewhat as going Vancouver, Miami, Guadalajara would be a nightmare. But they still aren't very compact, and with border crossings will not be easy for fans.

Miami and KC are the two that stand out to me. I know KC is known for its soccer fans but its stadium is much older than the others and it isn't a major flight hub (though they are opening a new airport before the world cup). Miami is out of the way and also a somewhat older stadium. I know there is some mystique to the glamour of Miami but I can take it or leave it, especially in the summer. Though I'm not sure what I would replace these two with given the following list of last cuts from ESPN - I probably would have chosen Baltimore over Miami to be near DC, but others would argue it is too much of a northeast bias (I like the northeast!). On the flip side, one can argue that Boston is northeast overkill, but again, not sure what I would replace it with.

Final cuts: Baltimore, Orlando, Cincinnati, Nashville, Denver, Edmonton.

I don't think they have announced who gets the knockout round games yet, which will be interesting.

"While not finalized, the organizing committee in its original bid book suggested a west-to-east flow for those knockout games, with the semifinals to be played in Dallas and Atlanta and the final to be played at East Rutherford, NJ’s MetLife Stadium. The opening games were suggested to run across all three countries including specifically in L.A. and Mexico City’s famed Azteca Stadium, both previous final hosts."
https://deadline.com/2022/06/world-c...co-1235047308/

I thought I read that knockout games would be U.S. only.

[Truth&Justise]

Miami is out of the way and also a somewhat older stadium. I know there is some mystique to the glamour of Miami but I can take it or leave it, especially in the summer. Though I'm not sure what I would replace these two with given the following list of last cuts from ESPN - I probably would have chosen Baltimore over Miami to be near DC, but others would argue it is too much of a northeast bias (I like the northeast!). On the flip side, one can argue that Boston is northeast overkill, but again, not sure what I would replace it with.

Miami is the #2 destination in the U.S. for international tourists (behind only New York). It's an easy place to fly to from most of South & Central America.

Plus, unlike Baltimore, they have an MLS team. So I'm not surprised to see the scales tip toward Miami.

[burnspbesq]

Miami is the #2 destination in the U.S. for international tourists (behind only New York). It's an easy place to fly to from most of South & Central America.

Plus, unlike Baltimore, they have an MLS team. So I'm not surprised to see the scales tip toward Miami.

Funding for the expansion of BMO Field in Toronto was far from assured until very late in the process, but it eventually got done. That will be one of the two smallest venues, along with Chivas’ new stadium in Guadalajara (praise Jesus, Estadio Jalisco is no more).