2026 World Cup - The Long Road for USMNT

With soccer rising in popularity in the United States and North America as a whole it was with no surprise that the world's most important sporting event would be coming to the continent in the near future. In the summer of 2026, the FIFA World Cup will be played in cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with the majority of the games being played in the United States. We will be examining what lies ahead in the planning of the world cup, the implications on the growth of the sport in the country, and what lies ahead for the USMNT.

Given that the World Cup comes just once every four years, careful and meticulous thought goes into planning every aspect of the sporting event. This is especially true for what cities get the right to host WC matches. Planning was halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic but in 2021 FIFA representatives returned to the US to tour potential stadiums. FIFA requires that stadiums must have a capacity of 40,000 to host group stage matches, 60,000 to host quarter-final matches, and at least 80,000 to host the opening ceremony or world cup final. Luckily for the United States, there are many stadiums that satisfy those requirements. 

Well, take a look at some venues that will most likely be selected to host a world cup match. Well, begin with the front runner to host the final: Metlife Stadium (Rutherford, NJ). Situated just outside New York City the stadium can host up to 87,157 individuals. Due to its location and sheer size, it is a clear favorite to host the event's most important match. Other stadiums in contention for the finale include SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles, CA) and Mercedes Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA). Both stadiums are equipped with a smaller capacity than Metlife, however, they have both been built more recently and both are in prime metropolitan areas. Other cities that FIFA is looking at include Dallas, Miami, San Fransisco, Seattle, Boston, Denver, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Houston, and Washington DC. All of these cities are already equipped with either NFL or MLS stadiums that are ready to be filled with fans from all over the globe. It is certain that whatever cities get selected will be met with major economic benefits from the surge of visitors coming to witness the sports spectacle.

Aside from the economic benefits that are associated with hosting an event such as this, another positive impact will be the growth of the sport in the United States. Soccer has been ever-growing in the US for over a decade and many believe that we are currently witnessing the Golden Age of the USMNT. This is mostly due to some incredible young players with the likes of Christian Pulisic, Gio Reyna, Weston Mckennie, Sergino Dest, Josh Sargent, and many others who have broken through on the international level. Young individuals witnessing this success become passionate about the sport as they get to watch some of these incredible talents. Getting to watch these players and other international superstars pretty much in their own backyards will only increase the attraction of both playing and viewing soccer in the United States. Which in turn results in better quality athletes in the sport for the future of the USMNT.  The United States has an automatic spot in the competition due to them hosting the event, coupled with success in the 2022 World Cup this could lead to a massive boom in the popularity of the sport within the country.