For the first time, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by 3 different countries

 FIFA President Gianni Infantino warned Canada, Mexico, and the United States to prepare for an "invasion" of football on Thursday as the venues for the 2026 World Cup were announced. The first-ever World Cup to be co-hosted by three different countries will also feature a record number of teams, increasing by 16 from 32 to 48 as the tournament returns to North America for the first time since 1994 final.

The 16 locations named Thursday include 11 in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada.

All U.S. games are held at venues that host NFL teams, such as the $5 billion SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and the New York Giants' 82,000-seat MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, which hosts the Finals should be.

A total of 60 of the tournament's 80 matches - including all knockout matches from the quarter-finals onwards - will be played in US venues.

Mexico City's famous Azteca Stadium, site of the 1970 and 1986 World Cups, was one of three Mexican venues along with the cities of Monterrey and Guadalajara.

Vancouver and Toronto will host the Canadian games of the tournament.

Infantino, meanwhile, said 2026 would eclipse the 1994 United States final - which holds the record for highest overall attendance - in every way.

"2026 is going to be much, much bigger," Infantino said. "I think this part of the world doesn't realize what's going to happen in 2026.

“These three countries are being turned upside down and then turned upside down again. The world will invade Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

"You will be overwhelmed by a great wave of joy and happiness."

Infantino said he hopes the World Cup will further spur football development in the region.

“In this part of the world, you are leaders in many areas. But in the number one sport in the world, football, you are not yet," he said. "The goal must be to lead the world's number one sport."

A decision had yet to be made as to the venues for marquee games such as the World Cup final and kick-off.

"We still have to discuss it, we still have to analyze it," said Infantino. "We will make a decision in due course."

However, Infantino revealed that given the tournament's wide geographical spread across North America, FIFA was considering basing teams in regional "clusters" to minimize travel.

"When you're dealing with a region as big as North America, we have to take care of the fans and make sure teams play in groups so fans and teams don't have to travel crazy distances," Infantino said.

Super Bowl pedigree

The list of US host cities stretches from coast to coast, with several cities hosting games from the 1994 World Cup. However, no actual stadiums from the 1994 tournament can be found. will be repeated in 2026.

Other venues include the Dallas Cowboys' massive AT&T Stadium in Arlington and the Miami Dolphins' Hard Rock Stadium. Seven of the 11 locations named Thursday have hosted the Super Bowl.

The Kansas City Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium – the noisiest stadium in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records – also made it into the running.

NFL venues in Seattle, San Francisco, Atlanta, Houston, Boston, and Philadelphia were also on the list.

However, there was no place for Washington DC on the list of venues. That means the 2026 tournament will be the first World Cup in former West Germany since 1974 final in which there is no host capital.

Colin Smith, FIFA's manager of competitions and events, confirmed Washington's absence after an "incredibly competitive" bidding process.

"It was a very, very difficult decision," said Smith. "It's hard to imagine a World Cup taking place in the United States and the capital not playing a big role."

Meanwhile, Smith said some of the NFL venues would require minor changes to expand "pinch points," but said stadium capacity would not be affected.

"The number of fans who can see this World Cup will probably be double what it was before," he said.

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"The 1994 World Cup holds the attendance record - and it's blown out of the water." Referral Link