When the United States hosted the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 1994, the soccer tournament set attendance records that lasted 30 years. That will change this year, when FIFA World Cup 2026 will bring up to 10 million international visitors to the United States.
With its stadiums that hold between 60,000–80,000 fans, the United States is uniquely suited to host such large-scale events. (No country has hosted more Olympic Games.)
“The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the largest, most complex set of events in sports history,” President Trump says.
A December 5 drawing determined matchups among the 48 teams, which will play a total of 104 matches across 16 North American cities (in Canada and Mexico as well as in the United States).
FIFA conducts an inspection of the stadium and turf in Atlanta ahead of FIFA Club World Cup 2025™. (© Adam Hagy/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
Pitch perfect
(State Dept./M. Gregory)
While the 11 US cities hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 matches do not need to build new stadiums — as many past host countries have — venues are ensuring fields designed for American football deliver a top-notch experience for soccer players and their fans.
In partnership with FIFA, Michigan State University and the University of Tennessee have developed and tested natural grass fields that can thrive in the varied climates of North American host cities, including dome stadiums common in American football. Innovators built a state-of-the-art shade house to test grass varieties that work well for indoor fields.
(State Dept./M. Gregory)
“It’s important that we get these pitches playing and looking as identical as we can,” said FIFA’s Alan Ferguson, who worked with U.S. universities to create the grass fields. “Whether it’s a stadium in Canada, in the Midwest U.S. or down in the mountains of Mexico, we want there to be consistency with what a player feels under his foot.”
Communities are ensuring visitors find their way to stadiums, installing signs in multiple languages and improving transportation.
Atlanta will offer new driverless shuttle buses to help transport fans to eight matches in the city.
Los Angeles will deploy a new mobile app and transit ambassadors to help guide fans. The city will operate an additional 330 buses during FIFA World Cup 2026. Los Angeles is also gearing up to host the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Even fans without tickets will be able to enjoy the excitement. To bring the tournament’s magic to more people, organizers near the Meadowlands in New Jersey are planning a festival where parents can watch tournament matches on giant screens while their children play soccer on fields set up just for them. (The New York New Jersey Stadium will host the FIFA World Cup 2026 finals.)
Popularity soars
Between 1990 and 2017, the number of Americans who call soccer their favorite sport increased sevenfold. And over a recent five-year period, the number of people who began following soccer increased 57%.
The tournament’s return to the United States coincides with the country’s 250th birthday festivities and as soccer’s US popularity continues to rise
