Miami, USA:

The 2026 World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey, organizers FIFA announced on Sunday.

New York fended off a strong challenge from Dallas to earn a spot in the July 19 tournament, the culmination of an expanded 48-team tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The tournament will kick off on June 11 at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

“The most inclusive and impactful FIFA World Cup ever, which will feature 104 matches in 16 state-of-the-art stadiums in Canada, Mexico and the United States, is no longer a dream but a reality,” the FIFA president said. Gianni Infantino.

“From the opening game at the iconic Estadio Azteca to the thrilling final in New York, New Jersey, players and fans have been at the heart of our extensive planning for this game-changing event… which will not only create New records, and new records to come.” leaving an indelible legacy. “

The semifinals will be held in Atlanta and Dallas, and the third-place game will be played in Miami.

The quarterfinals will be played in Los Angeles, Kansas City, Miami and Boston.

A total of 16 cities across the three countries will host games, with the majority taking place in the United States.

The 1994 World Cup was also held in the United States, with the final held at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, near Los Angeles.

New York hosted that game at the old Giants Stadium, which was later demolished to make way for MetLife, which opened in 2010.

The decisions were announced during a live television broadcast in North America, in which Infantino was joined by comedian and actor Kevin Hart, rapper Drake and celebrity Kim Kardashian.

The 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium is located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York. It is the home of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets, and has also hosted many international games. Rugby matches, including the 2016 final America’s Cup tournament.

New York’s bid lobbied heavily for the city’s experience in hosting major international events and its status as a global city with easy access to fans.

Dallas had hoped AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, would have a roof to protect games from severe weather.

Dallas received some compensation, with the venue hosting a total of nine games – the most of any venue.

Los Angeles was also involved in the attempt, but it ran into trouble due to disagreements with FIFA over the upgrades needed to SoFi Stadium, the venue where the NFL plays.

Aztec history

The Azteca will become the first stadium to host three World Cup matches, following 1970 and 1986.

The venue hosted the finals of the 1970 and 1986 championships.

The World Cup will be held during the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence.

The top 16 will be held on Independence Day, July 4, in Philadelphia, where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

The U.S. team will begin its group stage matches at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 12 and will play in Seattle.

Toronto was chosen to host Team Canada’s first game. Vancouver is the other venue in Canada to host the team.

The expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams means an additional 24 games will be played, for a total of 104 games across 16 venues.

The competition will take the form of 12 groups of four teams each, with the top two teams and the eight best third-place teams advancing together.

From then on, the competition will use a straight knockout format, with finalists having to play eight games instead of the previous seven.

FIFA said the match schedule will not be completed until qualifying has concluded, with the aim of limiting team travel.

The full draw for the event is expected to take place in late 2025.

The group schedule is designed to avoid cross-coast travel for teams, and they can also choose a team base in the region where their group is located.

The 16 host cities for the tournament are: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterey, New York-New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver .

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