How many matches will be played in the US in the 2026 World Cup?

In 2026, North America will host the largest World Cup in history. The USA, Canada, and Mexico will host the World Cup, which will have a record three host nations, a record number of stadiums, and 48 teams—the most ever in a single World Cup.

The 2026 World Cup will be held in North America, with matches divided throughout the region's three main countries. FIFA made the event official in 2018.

The alternative choice for a host was Morroco, but the offer was defeated by the tri-national North American proposal, which received 134 votes to Morocco's 65. The World Cup for men will be co-hosted for the second time in 2026; the first time was in 2002, when South Korea and Japan teamed up to bring the tournament to Asia.

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Increased number of matches in the new 2026 project

16 venues from three North American nations —Canada, Mexico, and the United States— will collectively host the competition. There will be a record 80 matches played in the 2026 World Cup. The United States will host 60 matches, including the semifinals, final, and quarterfinals, while Mexico and Canada will each stage 10 matches.

Host cities announced

The United States will have 11 of the 16 World Cup host cities, Mexico three and Canada two. Mexico will set a new record by becoming the first country to host the World Cup three times (1970, 1986, 2026).

A total of 22 cities had applied to host World Cup matches. FIFA announced its decision in June.

The venues chosen in the United States will be: Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston,Boston, Philadelphia, Miami, New York/New Jersey.

In Canada, Vancouver and Toronto will have the pleasure of hosting World Cup matches for the first time in the country’s history. And in Mexico, the participating cities will be Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City.

FIFA did not disclose which will be the venues for the inauguration and final of the 2026 World Cup, a subject of great expectation since the announcement of three host countries.

"We will take our time for that decision," said Gianni Infantino, head of FIFA. The choice of the 16 cities is, according to Infantino, due to FIFA's desire to "ensure that fans don't have to travel too far, so that everyone has a fantastic experience."

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Change of format expected for 2026

Qatar 2022, which kicks off on November 21, will be the last World Cup under the current 32-team format. After playing three matches in the group stage, the two teams with the best results in each group will qualify for the round of 16.

It is expected that starting with the 2026 World Cup, in which 48 teams will participate, there will be changes to the qualification system.

Starting in 2026, to accommodate a 48-team tournament, FIFA reorganized the group stage into 16 groups of three teams each. The top two teams from each group will advance to a massive 32-team knockout phase with single elimination.

World Cup keeps growing

This is not the first time FIFA has modified the World Cup format in an attempt to further increase the value and popularity of its signature event. With an increased global presence and the growth of the game on the rise, FIFA has sought to include more countries, thus generating greater worldwide interest in the event. The addition of matches contributes to increased commercial and broadcast revenues.

The well-known 32-team participation structure did not arise until 1998, when FIFA increased the qualifying teams from 24, a total last seen at the 1994 World Cup in the United States. That 24-team format was used for four tournaments, dating back to the 1982 World Cup, when participation was increased to 16 teams.

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