The 2026 FIFA World Cup will utilise some of the greatest stadiums in the world across North America.
Featuring state-of-the-art NFL facilities and one of the World Cup’s most historic and storied venues, this tournament will take place amid a spectacular backdrop, despite the ticketing controversies that have threatened to leave vast swathes of empty seats.
Here are the 16 stadiums in use across the three countries: two in Canada, three in Mexico and 11 in the United States.
A lot of the stadiums are better known by names other than the ones that are being used during the tournament.
“Stadium official names for the FIFA World Cup 2026 have been matched with Host City names and may differ from the common designation used locally,” FIFA notes on its website.
That is because almost all of the stadiums being used have sponsored names, which cannot be used under FIFA’s strict branding rules.
It also means that, with one exception, all branding has had to be removed from the stadiums.
More commonly known as Mercedes-Benz Stadium, it opened in 2017 and is home to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United.
It also hosted the 2019 Super Bowl and is set to host the NFL showpiece again in 2028.
The stadium’s unique and striking design features a fully retractable roof, which consists of eight translucent, triangular panels.
Atlanta Stadium looks just as good inside as it does outside. (Getty Images: Kevin C. Cox)
However, one of those panels features a massive Mercedes-Benz logo, which cannot be removed or covered up, or else run the risk of damaging the infrastructure, so it has been allowed to stay, according to The Athletic.
One thing that won’t be in place for the duration of the tournament though, is the super low prices of food and drinks on offer in the stadium, which is regularly credited as being the lowest-cost menu on offer in American sport.
- Spain vs Cabo Verde, June 16
- Czechia vs South Africa, June 19
- Spain vs Saudi Arabia, June 22
- Morocco vs Haiti, June 25
- Democratic Republic of Congo vs Uzbekistan, June 28
- Round of 32 (1L v 3EHIJK), July 2
- Round of 16 (W86 v W88), July 8
- Semi-final (W99 v W100), July 16
World Cup capacity: 68,239.
Vancouver’s BC Place has one of the most stunning architectural features in any stadium anywhere, the world’s largest cable-supported retractable roof.
A distinctive roof has always been a notable part of BC Place, with the 1983-built original featuring the world’s largest air-supported canopy.
That roof was deflated for the final time after the 2010 Winter Paralympics and replaced by the present retractable version.
BC Place is a unique point among Vancouver’s high rises. (Getty Images: Elizabeth Ruiz Ruiz)
The Socceroos will play their opening game of the tournament against Türkiye in Vancouver.
The stadium has hosted plenty of famous sporting events in the past, including the 2010 Winter Olympics opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the final of the 2015 Women’s World Cup, when the USA thumped Japan 5-2.
- Socceroos vs Türkiye, June 14
- Canada vs Qatar, June 19
- New Zealand vs Egypt, June 22
- Switzerland vs Canada, June 25
- New Zealand vs Belgium, June 27
- Round of 32 (1B v 3EFGIJ), July 3
- Round of 16 (W85 v W87), July 8
World Cup capacity: 52,497.
Gillette Stadium in Foxborough is the home of the New England Patriots and has been since 2002.
It was built alongside the original Foxboro Stadium, which hosted matches at both the 1994 men’s World Cup, including Argentine legend Diego Maradona’s final appearance at the tournament, and the 1999 Women’s World Cup, including a semifinal.
The Matildas played their opening match at the stadium in that 1999 World Cup, a Julie Murray goal helping the Matildas to a 1-1 draw against Ghana despite the African side playing for over an hour with 10 players.
Julie Murray scored for the Matildas at the old Foxboro Stadium in a World Cup match. (Getty Images: Allsport/Jamie Squire)
The stadium was redeveloped throughout 2022 and 2023, with improvements including a 2,000 square-metre curved-radius high-definition video screen, the largest in the United States, and a lighthouse at one end.
The ground doesn’t have a roof though, which, given the propensity for bad weather in New England year-round, should probably have been a more pressing concern.
- Haiti vs Scotland, June 15
- Iraq vs Norway, June 17
- Scotland vs Morocco, June 20
- England vs Ghana, June 24
- Norway vs France, June 27
- Round of 32 (1E v 3ABCDF), June 30
- Quarterfinal (W89 v W90), July 10
World Cup capacity: 64,146.
The biggest of the lot at this year’s World Cup, the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, is the gargantuan home of the Dallas Cowboys.
Nicknamed Jerry World after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the stadium can cater for more than 100,000 spectators at full capacity (the highest regular season NFL attendance was 105,121), although it is strangely limited to 70,649 for the World Cup.
The entire project cost a total of $US1.15 billion ($1.61 billion), funded by Jones, the NFL and the tax dollars of the residents of the City of Arlington.
Two 91-metre high arches support a retractable roof that will likely remain closed during the tournament, given the average Arlington temperature in July is 35 degrees Celsius.
Arlington hosted matches at the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2025. (Getty Images: AMA/Catherine Ivill)
Fun fact, the first event to be hosted at the stadium wasn’t an American Football game, but back-to-back soccer matches in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Costa Rica beat Guadeloupe, 5–1 and then Mexico beat Haiti 4–0 in two quarterfinal matches in front of a crowd listed at 85,000.
Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez has fought twice at the venue, knocking out English fighters Liam Smith and Billy Joe Saunders in 2016 and 2021 respectively, a bad omen perhaps for England’s second group game against Croatia.
- Netherlands vs Japan, June 15
- England vs Croatia, June 18
- Argentina vs Austria, June 23
- Japan vs Sweden, June 26
- Jordan vs Argentina, June 28
- Round of 32 (2E v 2I), July 1
- Round of 32 (2D v 2G), July 4
- Round of 16 (W83 v W84), July 7
- Semifinal (W97 v W98), July 15
World Cup capacity: 70,649.
From the inside, this ground looks like any other 48,000-capacity football stadium would expect to look.
But from the outside, the Estadio Guadalajara, known locally by its sponsor name Estadio Akron or Estadio Chivas, is an absolute beauty and one of the more unique venues in world sport.
Squint a little bit, and you could believe that you’re heading into a volcano to watch a football game. (Getty Images: Jam Media/Emiliano Morales)
According to the Bid Book, the stadium was designed by Jean Marie Massaud and Daniel Pouzet to mimic a volcano, with grass-banked sides rising up around the edge of the stands, capped by a white roof that symbolises a cloud.
It’s a truly beautiful venue intended to merge into the surrounding protected forest and nature reserve.
Guadalajara is the home of boxing legend Canelo Álvarez, and he fought British fighter John Ryder at the stadium for the undisputed super middleweight titles in 2023. The hometown fighter won by unanimous decision after a crushingly effective display of punching.
- South Korea vs Czechia, June 12
- Mexico vs South Korea, June 19
- Colombia vs Democratic Republic of Congo, June 24
- Uruguay vs Spain, June 27
World Cup capacity: 45,664.
The stadium, once known as Reliant Stadium, now called NRG Stadium, but soon to be renamed Reliant Stadium, is another US stadium with a retractable roof, the first in the NFL.
Home of the Houston Texans, the stadium was opened in 2002 and has since hosted two Super Bowls, in 2004 and 2017.
The stadium is the home of the Houston Rodeo, which not many other stadiums can say, I suppose, but aside from that, there’s little to say about this stadium other than it’s pretty big, which figures — it’s in Texas, after all.
Find me a more American scene than a flag-carrying cowgirl, I’ll wait. (Getty Images: Houston Chronicle/Jason Fochtman)
- Germany vs Curaçao, June 15
- Portugal vs Democratic Republic of Congo, June 18
- Netherlands vs Sweden, June 21
- Portugal vs Uzbekistan, June 24
- Cabo Verde vs Saudi Arabia, June 27
- Round of 32 (1C v 2F), June 30
- Round of 16 (W73 v W75), July 5
World Cup capacity 68,777.
I don’t really understand why this can’t be just called Arrowhead Stadium, given Arrowhead is not a sponsor name (the official name is GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, but nobody’s got time for that).
Anyway, the open-air stadium is the long-term home of the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs and has been since 1972.
Pop culture fans will know the Chiefs as the team that Mr Taylor Swift (Travis Kelce) plays for.
The stadium (or rather, the Chiefs fans) is absurdly loud — the supporters have hit a recorded noise level of 142.2 decibels during an NFL match in 2014.
Arrowhead Stadium is an atmospheric place at the best of times. (Getty Images: Icon Sportswire/Scott Winters)
According to the American Academy of Audiology, being subject to this level of noise is painful and immediately dangerous to human hearing, equivalent to standing 30 metres away from a jet engine or next to a firework.
- Argentina vs Algeria, June 17
- Ecuador vs Curaçao, June 21
- Tunisia vs Netherlands, June 26
- Algeria vs Austria, June 28
- Round of 32 (1K v 3DEIJL), July 4
- Quarterfinal (W95 v W96), July 12
World Cup capacity: 69,045.
The multi-award-winning SoFi Stadium is the home of both the LA Rams and LA Raiders, hosted the 2022 Super Bowl and will host the 2027 event too.
Perhaps more incredibly, it is going to be the showpiece stadium for the 2028 Olympics, hosting the opening ceremony and, somewhat remarkably, the swimming events at the Games.
It’s clear to see why the stadium has won awards, with a gorgeous, eye-catching canopy extending across the roof and down over a plaza and a smaller events venue to a point in one corner.
That canopy contains thousands of LEDs that combine to create an awesome spectacle outside.
SoFi Stadium is just as spectacular inside as out. (Getty Images: Luiza Moraes)
- USA vs Paraguay, June 13
- Iran vs New Zealand, June 16
- Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, June 19
- Belgium vs Iran, June 22
- Türkiye vs USA, June 26
- Round of 32 (2A v 2B), June 29
- Round of 32 (1H v 2J), July 3
- Quarterfinal (W93 v W94), July 11
World Cup capacity: 70,492.
Nobody in their right mind should call this anything other than the Azteca Stadium, host of World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986, featuring two of the greatest players to ever walk the Earth, Pelé’s Brazil in 1970 and Argentina’s Maradona in 1986.
But such is the modern way of things, the Azteca has been reduced to the bland, boring title of Mexico City Stadium.
Even worse, the first stadium to host two World Cup finals will host just five games across the tournament, a slight perhaps mollified by it playing host to the opening game.
Pelé was Brazil’s hero in 1970 at the Azteca. (Getty Images: Alessandro Sabattini)
Diego Armando Maradona lifted the World Cup at the Azteca in 1986. (Getty Images)
The Azteca was built for Mexico’s hosting of the 1968 Olympic Games, but only hosted the football tournament, which was won by Hungary.
The historic athletics competition at those Games, which featured the famous stand against racism by American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos, with Australian Peter Norman playing a supporting role, as well as Bob Beamon’s absurd 8.90m long jump, took place at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario.
The stadium also hosted the final of the non-FIFA recognised 1971 Women’s World Cup, won by Denmark in front of a crowd of over 110,000.
Sponsorship reasons dictate that outside of the World Cup takeover, this storied old ground should be known as the Estadio Banorte, but commercial will never dull the sight of Maradona weaving his way through a broken swathe of England defenders on his way to scoring the goal of the century, nor him raising his arm to punch the ball past Peter Shilton in the incident that will forever be known as the Hand of God.
- Mexico vs South Africa, June 12
- Uzbekistan vs Colombia, June 18
- Czechia vs Mexico, June 25
- Round of 32 (1A v 3CEFHI), July 1
- Round of 16 (W79 v W80), July 6
World Cup capacity: 80,824.
Hard Rock Stadium might be among the most versatile of all the stadiums hosting matches at this World Cup.
Since opening in 1987, it has hosted no fewer than six Super Bowls, two World Series, Formula 1’s Miami Grand Prix and the Miami Open tennis tournament.
It has also hosted a huge array of other events and is one of the three stadiums at this World Cup that has hosted a Canelo Álvarez boxing match (he beat Avni Yildirim here in 2021).
Having hosted the dramatic final of the 2024 Copa América between Argentina and Colombia, the ground should be better prepared for intense supporters this time around.
Expect plenty of colour in Miami. (Getty Images: FIFA/Carmen Mandato)
- Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay, June 16
- Uruguay vs Cabo Verde, June 22
- Scotland vs Brazil, June 25
- Colombia vs Portugal, June 28
- Round of 32 (1J v 2H), July 4
- Quarterfinal (W91 v W92), July 12
- Third-place match (RU101 v RU102), July 19
World Cup capacity: 64,478.
There are stadiums at this World Cup, and then there are Stadiums. This is the latter.
Officially the Estadio BBVA, anyone who has ever had a photo of a stadium pop up on their socials feed will likely have seen this arena’s most spectacular view.
Its nickname, El Gigante de Acero, or the steel giant, is hardly evocative of beauty, but the beauty in this ground is what you can see beyond it — especially if you’re sitting in the north west quadrant.
The scenery around the Estadio Monterrey barely looks real. (Getty Images: FIFA/Hector Vivas)
From there, the magisterial forested peak of the Cerro de la Silla rises up behind the curved steel roof in all its glory, giving rise to enough Instagram fodder to occupy even the most avid poster.
And even if steel is not your thing, it’s hard not to find real joy in the curves of the actual stadium, a steel slipper enveloping the world’s game within its folds.
Every view of the Monterrey stadium delivers a new slice of joy. (Getty Images: FIFA/Hector Vivas)
Pleasingly, it’s also a green stadium, being the first stadium in North America to receive a silver certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for its sustainable design.
The only disappointment? One of Mexico’s most beautiful stadiums will host just four matches at this tournament, robbing more supporters of the chance to witness its stunning backdrop.
- Sweden vs Tunisia, June 15
- Tunisia vs Japan, June 22
- South Africa vs South Korea, June 25
- Round of 32 (1F v 2C), June 30
World Cup capacity: 51,243.
MetLife Stadium or The New Meadowlands is one of the most impressive stadiums in all of America, hosting the city’s NFL franchises, the New York Giants and Jets.
It is so impressive that the NFL made an exception and hosted the Super Bowl here despite there being a policy of only playing them in outdoor stadiums in southern states on account of the February weather.
It cost enough to build, though, $US1.6 billion ($2.2 billion) when it was completed in 2010, but apparently that cost didn’t include enough for a roof over the stands or any public transport worth a dime to get out there from the Manhattan metropolis.
It has hosted plenty of big football matches, including the 2016 Copa América Centenario final where Chile beat Argentina on penalties, and also saw Chelsea win the Club World Cup final last year — or did President Donald Trump win that? It was hard to tell, given how long he spent on the rostrum after handing over the trophy.
MetLife Stadium has hosted plenty of football in its time. (Getty Images: Premier League/Jordan Bank)
- Brazil vs Morocco, June 14
- France vs Senegal, June 17
- Norway vs Senegal, June 23
- Ecuador vs Germany, June 26
- Panama vs England, June 28
- Round of 32 (1I v 3CDFGH), July 1
- Round of 16 (W76 v W78), July 6
- Final (W101 v W102), July 20
World Cup capacity: 80,663.
Lincoln Financial Field is the home of American football team the Philadelphia Eagles, but its first official event was a football match between Manchester United and Barcelona in 2003.
Football has been a regular tenant at the ground, with eight matches of the Club World Cup taking place there last year and four group games at the 2003 Women’s World Cup.
Another stadium with minimal roofing for spectators, what little roof this stadium has is supposed to evoke the wings of an eagle — although anything the size of America’s national bird is going to need a far bigger wingspan than that to take off.
Lincoln Financial Field put on a show at the Club World Cup last year. (Getty Images: Jonathan Moscrop)
- Côte d’Ivoire vs Ecuador, June 15
- Brazil vs Haiti, June 20
- France vs Iraq, June 23
- Curaçao vs Côte d’Ivoire, June 26
- Croatia vs Ghana, June 28
- Round of 16 (W74 v W77), July 5
World Cup capacity: 68,324.
Another project that exceeded $US1 billion, Levi’s Stadium is a spectacular venue in Santa Clara, about 60 kilometres south of San Francisco.
It has already hosted two Super Bowls, including the most recent one in February this year, and will be where the Socceroos take on Paraguay in what could be a crucial clash.
The architecture of the ground is stunning, allowing for clear sightlines and a massive lower bowl that holds two-thirds of the capacity at any one time, while corporate boxes line up on one side of the ground, giving it a slightly lopsided look.
The stadium was the first in the USA to receive a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certificate and has made an emphasis on being green.
Levi’s Stadium hosted Super Bowl LX in February. (Getty Images: Perry Knotts)
However, there have been some issues, including with the nearby San Jose International Airport, with pilots reportedly complaining about being disoriented by the lights and scoreboard as they come in to land.
The proximity to the airport creates another issue, too, with fans left exposed to the elements by a lack of overhanging roof and multiple cases of heat stress. Why can’t a roof be put on? Well, there’s a height limit imposed due to nearby flight paths.
- Qatar vs Switzerland, June 14
- Austria vs Jordan, June 18
- Türkiye vs Paraguay, June 20
- Jordan vs Algeria, June 23
- Paraguay vs Australia, June 26
- Round of 32 (1D v 3BEFIJ), July 2
World Cup capacity: 68,827.
The home of the Seattle Seahawks is almost guaranteed to rock your world, quite literally, when it hosts matches.
The inner-city ground now known as Lumen Field has had numerous bouts of seismic activity associated with action that has taken place there, a testament to the passion of the 12th man supporters, who twice registered the loudest noise ever recorded at an outdoor stadium.
But it’s not only Seahawks games that inspire such passion — the Seattle Sounders football team has also provoked enough atmosphere to tweak the seismographs and, at a Taylor Swift concert, tremors equivalent to a magnitude-2.3 earthquake were recorded.
The Socceroos fans get their chance to match that level of passion when they take on the USA on June 20.
The north end of the stadium features an open view of the Seattle skyline and a unique pyramid-shaped section of seats, upon which a tower rises that complements the cityscape behind it.
Seattle Stadium sits in the industrial district just outside the main downtown area. (Getty Images: Steph Chambers)
- Belgium vs Egypt, June 16
- USA vs Australia, June 20
- Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar, June 25
- Egypt vs Iran, June 27
- Round of 32 (1G v 3AEHIJ), July 2
- Round of 16 (W81 v W82), July 7
World Cup capacity: 66,925.
BMO Field, the home of Toronto FC in Major League Soccer, is the smallest of all the stadiums to be used at this year’s World Cup.
In fact, 17,000 temporary seats are being added just for this year’s tournament to bring the stadium up to size.
Size isn’t everything, though, and this is recognised as Canada’s national stadium and is one of the few football-specific stadiums in the nation.
The Toronto Stadium has grown from a small cpacity football-specific ground to hold 45,000 at this World Cup. (Getty Images: FIFA/Alex Pantling)
- Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, June 13
- Ghana vs Panama, June 18
- Germany vs Côte d’Ivoire, June 21
- Panama vs Croatia, June 24
- Senegal vs Iraq, June 27
- Round of 32 (2K v 2L), July 3
World Cup capacity: 43,036.
Those stadiums listed above are the lucky 16 that will host matches at this year’s tournament.
But there were originally nine others listed in the bid document that didn’t make the cut.
Stadiums in Baltimore, Cincinnati, Denver, Nashville, Orlando and Washington DC did not make the final list of venues in the USA, while Los Angeles’s original proposal was to host matches at the historic Rose Bowl stadium.
The Montréal Olympic Stadium was not given the nod. (Getty Images: Tom Szczerbowski)
Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium and the spectacular Montréal Olympic Stadium were the two other proposed stadiums in Canada that were not selected.
Six of those stadiums had capacities of over 60,000, which shows just how many high-end venues the organisers had at their disposal.
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