Venues · 16 Stadiums · 3 Countries

World Cup 2026 Stadiums and Host Cities

The complete map of the first tri-nation World Cup: all 16 stadiums across 11 US cities, 3 in Mexico and 2 in Canada, with capacities, the matches each one hosts, the Estadio Azteca opener on 11 June, the two semi-finals at Dallas and Atlanta, the Miami third-place playoff, and the MetLife Final on 19 July.

Updated 6 June 2026 · WorldCuply.com editorial · Sources: FIFA, Al Jazeera, Olympics.com, StadiumDB, Wikipedia

16
Stadiums / host cities
3
Host countries
104
Total matches
94k
Biggest venue (Dallas)

One tournament, three countries, sixteen stadiums

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the first co-hosted by three nations and the first with 48 teams, so its venue footprint is the largest in the tournament's history: 16 stadiums in 16 host cities, stretching from Vancouver on the Pacific coast to Boston on the Atlantic, and south to Mexico City at 2,200 metres of altitude.

The split is 11 venues in the United States, 3 in Mexico and 2 in Canada. The US hosts 78 of the 104 matches, including every match from the quarter-finals through to the Final at MetLife Stadium. Mexico and Canada host 13 matches each, all in the group stage and the first two knockout rounds. The tournament opens at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 11 June 2026 and closes at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey on 19 July 2026.

One quirk you will notice in official FIFA materials: several stadiums carry neutral, city-based names during the tournament. That is FIFA's clean-stadium branding policy at work, which we explain below. New to the 48-team structure? Read our World Cup 2026 format explainer for how the 12 groups, the best thirds and the new Round of 32 fit together, and see the full match schedule for every fixture.

Where the tournament is decided

Five venues carry the biggest matches of the World Cup: the opener, the two semi-finals, the third-place playoff and the Final. These are the dates and places that bookend the whole tournament.

Opener · Match 1

Estadio Azteca, Mexico City

Match
Mexico v South Africa
Date
Thu 11 Jun 2026
Capacity
~83,000
FIFA name
Mexico City Stadium

Estadio Azteca becomes the first stadium in history to host matches at three different World Cups, having staged the 1970 and 1986 finals. The 2026 opener kicks off a first day with three matches and puts host nation Mexico on the pitch first. Read our Mexico team guide and the Group A preview for the home side's full schedule.

Final · Match 104

MetLife Stadium, New York / New Jersey

Match
The Final
Date
Sun 19 Jul 2026
Capacity
~82,500
FIFA name
New York New Jersey Stadium

MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey hosts the Final at 3:00 PM ET on 19 July, plus seven other matches across the tournament, eight in total. Going to a match there or anywhere else? Start with our 2026 World Cup tickets guide and the resale guide before you buy.

StageVenue (FIFA name)CityDate
OpenerEstadio Azteca (Mexico City Stadium)Mexico CityThu 11 Jun 2026
Semi-finalAT&T Stadium (Dallas Stadium)Arlington, TXTue 14 Jul 2026
Semi-finalMercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta Stadium)Atlanta, GAWed 15 Jul 2026
Third placeHard Rock Stadium (Miami Stadium)Miami Gardens, FLSat 18 Jul 2026
FinalMetLife Stadium (New York New Jersey Stadium)East Rutherford, NJSun 19 Jul 2026

The American host cities

The US carries the bulk of the tournament: 11 stadiums, 78 matches, and every knockout round from the quarter-finals onward. Capacities run from around 65,000 up to roughly 94,000 at AT&T Stadium, the largest venue at the World Cup.

Stadium (FIFA name)CityCapacityMatchesKey knockout
AT&T Stadium (Dallas Stadium)Arlington, TX~94,0009Semi-final
MetLife Stadium (New York New Jersey Stadium)East Rutherford, NJ~82,5008Final
SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles Stadium)Inglewood, CA~70,2408Quarter-final
Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta Stadium)Atlanta, GA~71,0008Semi-final
NRG Stadium (Houston Stadium)Houston, TX~72,0007Round of 16
Gillette Stadium (Boston Stadium)Foxborough, MA~65,0007Quarter-final
Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Stadium)Miami Gardens, FL~65,0007QF + third place
Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Stadium)Philadelphia, PA~69,0006Round of 16
Levi's Stadium (San Francisco Bay Area Stadium)Santa Clara, CA~69,3916Group stage
Lumen Field (Seattle Stadium)Seattle, WA~69,0006Round of 16
Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Stadium)Kansas City, MO~67,5136Quarter-final

AT&T Stadium, SoFi Stadium and Mercedes-Benz Stadium all have roofs, an important edge for managing the July heat and for protecting freshly laid natural grass. Host nation USA play in Group D; see the USMNT team guide for where they play and when, and the US broadcast guide for how to follow every match.

The Mexican host cities

Mexico's three venues host 13 matches between them, all in the group stage and the first two knockout rounds. Estadio Azteca anchors the country's involvement with the tournament opener and a place in World Cup history.

Stadium (FIFA name)CityCapacityMatchesNotes
Estadio Azteca (Mexico City Stadium)Mexico City~83,0005Opening match; R32 and R16
Estadio BBVA (Monterrey Stadium)Monterrey~53,5004Group stage + R32
Estadio Akron (Guadalajara Stadium)Guadalajara~48,0004Group stage

Estadio Azteca sits at roughly 2,200 metres of altitude, a genuine factor for visiting teams. Mexico opens the tournament here; read the Mexico guide and Group A preview, and the Mexico broadcast guide for how El Tri's run is covered at home.

The Canadian host cities

Canada hosts 13 matches across two venues, Toronto and Vancouver. Both stage group games plus early knockout ties, with BC Place reaching the Round of 16. BMO Field, expanded for the tournament, is the smallest of the 16 stadiums.

Stadium (FIFA name)CityCapacityMatchesKey knockout
BC Place (Vancouver Stadium)Vancouver, BC~54,5007Round of 16
BMO Field (Toronto Stadium)Toronto, ON~45,5006Round of 32

Host nation Canada play in Group B; see the Canada team guide for their schedule and the Canada broadcast guide for English and French coverage. One ticketing wrinkle to know: Toronto resale is capped at face value under Ontario law, while Vancouver is not, a split we cover in the tickets guide.

Why the stadium names change during the World Cup

If you have searched for AT&T Stadium and found FIFA calling it "Dallas Stadium", that is deliberate. FIFA enforces clean-stadium branding: any venue whose naming-rights sponsor is not an official FIFA partner is referred to by a neutral, city-based name for the duration of the tournament.

The everyday corporate names return the moment the World Cup ends. The substitutions for 2026 are:

BMO Field, BC Place and Estadio BBVA appear in some FIFA materials under their usual names and in others as Toronto Stadium, Vancouver Stadium and Monterrey Stadium. Throughout this guide we list both so you can match the FIFA broadcast caption to the stadium you already know.

Natural grass in roofed and artificial-turf stadiums

FIFA mandates natural grass for World Cup matches. That is straightforward at venues that already grow it, but several 2026 stadiums use artificial turf for their NFL or MLS tenants, and a few play under permanent or retractable roofs, which makes growing grass much harder.

Venues including MetLife Stadium, Lumen Field, BC Place, Mercedes-Benz Stadium and AT&T Stadium are laying temporary natural-grass pitches for the tournament, in several cases grown off-site and installed in modular trays. The roofed and indoor stadiums have run multi-year trials on lighting, irrigation and grass species to keep a playable surface under cover. It is one of the largest single operational projects of the tournament and a recurring talking point for players and coaches in the build-up.

For the full fixture-by-fixture picture of which teams play where, use the complete match schedule and the tournament calendar, and browse every group from Group A through Group L.

Frequently asked questions

How many stadiums and host cities does the 2026 World Cup use?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is played across 16 stadiums in 16 host cities spread over three countries: 11 venues in the United States, 3 in Mexico and 2 in Canada. This is the first World Cup co-hosted by three nations and the first with a 48-team field, so the venue footprint is far larger than the single-country tournaments of the past. The United States hosts 78 of the 104 matches, including every match from the quarter-finals onward; Mexico and Canada host 13 matches each. The 16 cities are New York/New Jersey, Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle and Kansas City in the US; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada.
Which stadium hosts the 2026 World Cup Final?
MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, hosts the Final on Sunday 19 July 2026 with a 3:00 PM ET kickoff. During the tournament FIFA refers to it under the neutral name New York New Jersey Stadium because MetLife is a commercial naming-rights sponsor and FIFA enforces clean-stadium branding rules for non-sponsors. MetLife has a capacity of roughly 82,500 and hosts eight matches in total: five group-stage matches, one Round of 32, one Round of 16, and the Final. It is the only one of the 16 venues to host the Final.
Which stadium hosts the opening match?
Estadio Azteca in Mexico City hosts the opening match on Thursday 11 June 2026, with host nation Mexico facing South Africa at 1:00 PM local time. FIFA refers to the venue as Mexico City Stadium during the tournament. Azteca becomes the first stadium in history to host matches at three different World Cups, having previously staged the 1970 and 1986 finals. It has a capacity of around 83,000 for 2026 and hosts five matches: three group-stage games, one Round of 32 and one Round of 16.
Which 2026 World Cup stadium hosts the most matches?
AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (FIFA tournament name: Dallas Stadium) hosts the most matches of any 2026 venue, with nine: five group-stage matches, two Round of 32 ties, one Round of 16, and a semi-final on 14 July 2026. AT&T is also the largest stadium at the tournament, with a capacity of around 94,000, and its retractable roof and climate control make it a comfortable July venue in the Texas heat. MetLife Stadium, SoFi Stadium and Mercedes-Benz Stadium each host eight matches, the next-most.
Where are the 2026 World Cup semi-finals played?
Both 2026 World Cup semi-finals are played in the United States. The first semi-final is at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (Dallas Stadium) on Tuesday 14 July 2026; the second is at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta (Atlanta Stadium) on Wednesday 15 July 2026. The winners advance to the Final at MetLife Stadium on 19 July, while the two losing semi-finalists meet in the third-place playoff at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on 18 July.
Why do some 2026 World Cup stadiums have different names?
FIFA enforces clean-stadium branding for venues whose naming-rights sponsor is not an official FIFA partner. Because of this, several US venues carry neutral, city-based names during the tournament: AT&T Stadium becomes Dallas Stadium, MetLife Stadium becomes New York New Jersey Stadium, SoFi Stadium becomes Los Angeles Stadium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium becomes Atlanta Stadium, Levi's Stadium becomes San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, NRG Stadium becomes Houston Stadium, Gillette Stadium becomes Boston Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field becomes Philadelphia Stadium, Lumen Field becomes Seattle Stadium, Arrowhead Stadium becomes Kansas City Stadium and Hard Rock Stadium becomes Miami Stadium. In Mexico, Estadio Azteca is referred to as Mexico City Stadium and Estadio Akron as Guadalajara Stadium. The everyday corporate names return after the tournament.
Which are the largest and smallest 2026 World Cup stadiums?
AT&T Stadium in Arlington is the largest at around 94,000, followed by Estadio Azteca in Mexico City at around 83,000 and MetLife Stadium at roughly 82,500. The smallest is BMO Field in Toronto at about 45,500, a temporary expanded capacity for the World Cup. Estadio Akron in Guadalajara (around 48,000) and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey (around 53,500) are also among the more intimate venues. Most US stadiums sit in the 65,000 to 72,000 range, while Canada's two venues, BMO Field and BC Place (around 54,500), are the smallest of the host nations.
How are the 104 matches split across the three host countries?
The United States hosts 78 of the 104 matches, including all matches from the quarter-finals through to the Final. Mexico and Canada host 13 matches each, all in the group stage and the early knockout rounds: Mexico's three venues stage group games plus Round of 32 and Round of 16 ties, while Canada's two venues (Toronto and Vancouver) host group games, a Round of 32 and, at BC Place, a Round of 16. The concentration of late-stage matches in the US reflects the larger number of high-capacity, roofed or climate-managed stadiums available there.
Which 2026 World Cup stadiums use natural grass or temporary surfaces?
FIFA requires natural grass for World Cup matches, so several venues that normally use artificial turf are laying temporary natural-grass pitches for the tournament. MetLife Stadium, Lumen Field in Seattle, BC Place in Vancouver, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and AT&T Stadium in Dallas all use synthetic surfaces for their regular tenants and are installing grass for 2026, in several cases grown off-site and laid in modular trays. The indoor and retractable-roof venues have run extensive trials on growing and maintaining grass under a roof, one of the major operational challenges of this tournament.
Where is the third-place playoff in 2026?
The third-place playoff is at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida (FIFA tournament name: Miami Stadium) on Saturday 18 July 2026, the day before the Final. The two losing semi-finalists from Dallas and Atlanta meet there. Hard Rock Stadium also hosts a quarter-final, making it one of the busier knockout venues despite hosting fewer group-stage games than most. It has a capacity of around 65,000.

Where this page comes from

This guide was hand-written from the following reporting and reference pages, used to confirm the 16 venues, FIFA tournament names, capacities and the matches each stadium hosts:

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