Mexico City and New York Area Announced as Beginning and End of FIFA 2026 World Cup

Mexico City's Azteca Stadium will host the inaugural match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in a tournament to be played in Mexico, the United States and Canada. Meanwhile, the final will be held at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, near New York City.

FIFA announced that the first World Cup match in three North American countries at once will be played on June 11, 2026 and the final on July 19.

While it was not surprising that Estadio Azteca was chosen as the inaugural venue, many media and analysts were surprised that MetLife Stadium was chosen as the venue for the final.

Estadio Azteca will become the first venue to host three inaugural games of the world's top soccer championship. The first time was in 1970, and the second was in 1986, serving as the venue for the respective finals of those World Cups.

Meanwhile, the MetLife Stadium, located in New Jersey, will host the 104th game of the 2026 World Cup, surpassing favored contenders such as AT&T Stadium in Dallas and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

At a gala held to announce the calendar for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said the tournament will consist of 48 teams,104 matches in 16 stadiums in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.

"From the opening match at the iconic Estadio Azteca to the spectacular final in New York-New Jersey players and fans have been at the core of our extensive planning for this game-changing tournament," Infantino said.

Check out the fixtures schedule

These are all the the 2026 World Cup Venues

Mexico

CITY/VENUE/(Capacity)

Mexico City: Azteca Stadium (83,264)
Guadalajara: Akron Stadium (46,355)
Monterrey: BBVA Stadium (51,000)

United States

Atlanta: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (71,000)
Boston: Gillette Stadium (68,756)
Dallas: AT&T Stadium (80,000)
Houston: NRG Stadium (72,220)
Kansas City: Arrowhead Stadium (76,416)
Los Angeles: SoFi Stadium (70,000)
Miami: Hard Rock Stadium (65,326)
New York/New Jersey: MetLife Stadium (82,500)
Philadelphia: Lincoln Financial Field (67,594)
San Francisco Bay Area: Levi's Stadium (68,500)
Seattle: Lumen Field (72,000)

Canada

Toronto: BMO Field (30,000)
Vancouver: BC Place (54,500)