2026 FIFA World Cup

Tourney Name	FIFA World Cup
Year	2026
Other Titles	FIFA World Cup 26 Copa Mundial de la FIFA 26 Coupe du Monde de la FIFA 26
Image
Caption	We Are 26 Somos 26 Nous Sommes 26
Country	Canada
Country2	Mexico
Country3	United States
Dates	June 11 – July 19
Confederations	6
Num Teams	48
Venues	16
Cities	16
Prevseason	2022
Nextseason	2030
Alt	Emblem of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, showing numbers "2" (top) and "6" (bottom) superimposed by the World Cup trophy

Format and expansion

The general idea of expanding the tournament had been suggested as early as 2013 by then UEFA president Michel Platini, and also in 2016 by FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Opponents of the proposal argued that the number of games played was already at an unacceptable level, that the expansion would dilute the quality of the games, and that the decision was driven by political rather than sporting concerns, accusing Infantino of using the promise of bringing more countries to the World Cup to win his election.

Starting with this edition, the FIFA World Cup expanded to 48 teams, an increase of 16 teams compared with the previous seven tournaments. The teams will be split into twelve groups of four teams, with the top two teams in each group and the eight best third-placed teams progressing to a new round of 32, as approved by the FIFA Council on March 14, 2023. This is set to be the first expansion and format change since 1998.

The total number of games played will increase from 64 to 104, and the number of games played by teams reaching the final four will increase from seven to eight. The tournament will last 39 days, an increase from 32 days of the 2014 and 2018 tournaments. Each team will still play three group matches. The final matchday at club level for players named in the final squads is May 24, 2026; clubs have to release their players by May 25, with exceptions granted to players participating in continental club competition finals up until May 30. The 56 days of the combined rest, release, and tournament periods remain identical to the 2010, 2014 and 2018 tournaments.

Previous expansion formats

The expansion to 48 teams had already been approved on January 10, 2017, when it was decided that the tournament would include 16 groups of 3 teams, and 80 matches in total, with the top two teams of each group progressing to a round of 32. Under this later-superseded format, the maximum number of games per team would have remained at seven, but each team would have played one fewer group match than before. The tournament still would have been completed within 32 days. The later-superseded format was chosen over three other proposals, ranging from 40 to 48 teams, from 76 to 88 matches, and from one to four minimum matches per team.

Critics of the later-superseded format argued that the use of three-team groups with two teams progressing significantly increased the risk of collusion between teams. This prompted FIFA to suggest that penalty shootouts may be used to prevent draws in the group stage, although even then some risk of collusion would remain, and a possibility would emerge of teams deliberately losing shootouts to eliminate a rival. To address these concerns, FIFA continued considering alternative formats – a process that ended with the 2023 announcement that the format would be 12 groups of 4 teams.

Host selection

United 2026 FIFA World Cup bid
The FIFA Council went back and forth between 2013 and 2017 on limitations within hosting rotation based on the continental confederations. Originally, it was set that bids to be host would not be allowed from countries belonging to confederations that hosted the two preceding tournaments. It was temporarily changed to only prohibit countries belonging to the confederation that hosted the previous World Cup from bidding to host the following tournament, before the rule was changed back to its prior state of two World Cups.

The FIFA Council made an exception to potentially grant eligibility to member associations of the confederation of the second-to-last host of the FIFA World Cup in the event that none of the received bids fulfill the strict technical and financial requirements. In March 2017, FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed that "Europe (UEFA) and Asia (AFC) are excluded from the bidding following the selection of Russia and Qatar in 2018 and 2022 respectively." Therefore, the 2026 World Cup could be hosted by one of the remaining four confederations: CONCACAF (North America; last hosted in 1994), CAF (Africa; last hosted in 2010), CONMEBOL (South America; last hosted in 2014), or OFC (Oceania, never hosted before), or potentially by UEFA in case no bid from those four met the requirements.

Co-hosting the FIFA World Cup—which had been banned by FIFA after the 2002 World Cup—was approved for the 2026 World Cup, though not limited to a specific number but instead evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Also for 2026, the FIFA general secretariat, after consultation with the Competitions Committee, had the power to exclude bidders who did not meet the minimum technical requirements to host the competition.

Canada, Mexico, and the United States had each publicly considered bidding for the tournament separately, but the United joint bid was announced on April 10, 2017. In March 2022, Liga MX president Mikel Arriola claimed Mexico's involvement as cohost could have been at risk if the league and the federation had not responded quickly to the Querétaro–Atlas riot between rival fans that left 26 spectators injured and resulted in 14 arrests. Arriola said FIFA was "shocked" by the incident but Infantino was satisfied with the sanctions handed down against Querétaro.

Voting

2026 FIFA World Cup bids

Venues

United 2026 FIFA World Cup bid#Venues excluded since start of bidding process
During the bidding process, 41 cities with 42 existing, fully functional venues with regular tenants (except Montreal) and two venues under construction (Las Vegas and Los Angeles) submitted to be part of the bid (three venues in three cities in Mexico; six venues in six cities in Canada; 35 venues in 32 cities in the United States). A first-round elimination cut nine venues and nine cities. A second-round elimination cut an additional nine venues in six cities, while three venues in three cities (Chicago, Minneapolis, and Vancouver) dropped out due to FIFA's unwillingness to discuss financial details. After Montreal dropped out in July 2021 due to lack of provincial funding and support to renovate Olympic Stadium, Vancouver rejoined the bid as a candidate city in April 2022, bringing the total number to 24 venues, each in its own city or metropolitan area.

On June 16, 2022, the sixteen host cities (two in Canada, three in Mexico, eleven in the United States) were announced by FIFA: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver. Eight of the sixteen chosen stadiums have permanent artificial turf surfaces that are planned to be replaced with grass under the direction of FIFA and a University of Tennessee–Michigan State University research team. Four venues (Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, and Vancouver) are indoor stadiums that use retractable roof systems, all equipped with climate control while a fifth, Los Angeles, is open-air but has a translucent roof and no climate control. The host of the final match—MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey—was announced by FIFA on February 4, 2024.

Although there are soccer-specific stadiums in Canada and the United States, the largest dedicated soccer-specific stadium in the United States, Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, seats 30,000, which falls short of FIFA's minimum of 40,000 (Toronto's BMO Field is being expanded from 30,000 to 45,500 for this tournament). Stadiums including Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Lumen Field in Seattle are used by National Football League (NFL) and Major League Soccer (MLS) teams. Although primarily used for gridiron football, with the American stadiums hosting NFL teams and Canada's hosting the Canadian Football League (CFL), all of the Canadian and American stadiums have been used on numerous occasions for soccer and are also designed to host that sport.

Mexico City is the only capital of the three host nations chosen as a venue site, with Ottawa and Washington, D.C., joining Bonn (West Germany, 1974) and Tokyo (Japan, 2002) as the only capital cities not selected to host World Cup matches. Washington was a host city candidate, but due to the poor state of FedExField, it combined its bid with nearby Baltimore's, which was unsuccessful. Other cities eliminated from the final hosting list were Cincinnati, Denver, Nashville, Orlando, and Edmonton. Ottawa's candidate venue, TD Place Stadium, was eliminated early on due to insufficient capacity. None of the stadiums used in the 1994 FIFA World Cup will be used in this tournament, and Estadio Azteca is the only stadium in this tournament that was used in the 1970 and 1986 FIFA World Cups.

Due to FIFA's rules on stadium sponsorships, the venues will use alternative names for the duration of the tournament, shown in parentheses. The capacity is based on information published by FIFA.

City	Stadium	Capacity	Image
Dallas (Arlington, Texas)	AT&T Stadium (Dallas Stadium)	94,000
Mexico City	Estadio Banorte (Mexico City Stadium)	83,000
New York/New Jersey (East Rutherford, New Jersey)	MetLife Stadium (New York/New Jersey Stadium)	82,500
Atlanta	Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta Stadium)	75,000
Kansas City	GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Stadium)	73,000
Houston	NRG Stadium (Houston Stadium)	72,000
San Francisco Bay Area (Santa Clara, California)	Levi's Stadium (San Francisco Bay Area Stadium)	71,000
Los Angeles (Inglewood, California)	SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles Stadium)	70,000
Philadelphia	Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Stadium)	69,000
Seattle	Lumen Field (Seattle Stadium)	69,000
Boston (Foxborough, Massachusetts)	Gillette Stadium (Boston Stadium)	65,000
Miami (Miami Gardens, Florida)	Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Stadium)	65,000
Vancouver	BC Place (BC Place Vancouver)	54,000
Monterrey (Guadalupe)	Estadio BBVA (Estadio Monterrey)	53,500
Guadalajara (Zapopan)	Estadio Akron (Estadio Guadalajara)	48,000
Toronto	BMO Field (Toronto Stadium)	45,000

Teams

Qualification

2026 FIFA World Cup qualification

• Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan will all make their World Cup debuts.
• Haiti returns to the tournament after last appearing in 1974.
• Austria, Norway, and Scotland return to the tournament after last appearing in 1998.
• For South Africa, it marks their first successful qualifying campaign since 2002, as they automatically qualified as host in 2010.
• For previous host Qatar, it marks the first time that they advanced to the tournament through qualification.

• (debut)
• (debut)

• (debut)

• (co-host)
• (debut)
• (co-host)
• (co-host)

• (title holder)

Draw

2026 FIFA World Cup seeding
The draw took place on December 5, 2025, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The 48 teams were divided into four pots of 12. Pot 1 consisted of the three hosts and the top nine teams from the November 2025 FIFA Men's World Ranking. Pots 2, 3, and 4 consisted of the remaining teams according to the ranking. The four winners of the UEFA playoffs and the two winners of the inter-confederation playoffs were not known at the time of the draw, as these matches are scheduled to take place in March 2026, and thus were automatically allocated to Pot 4. The 12 groups were randomly formed by selecting one team from each of the four pots. FIFA's "general principle, whenever possible", was that no group had more than one team from the same confederation drawn into it. This principle was applicable to all confederations except UEFA; each group was required to have either one or two UEFA teams drawn into it.

The three host nations were pre-allocated to three groups for scheduling purposes. Mexico was placed in Group A and will play the opening match of the tournament at Estadio Azteca on June 11. Canada and the United States were placed in Groups B and D, respectively. They will play the third and fourth matches of the tournament, respectively, both on June 12.

The confederation restriction applied to all three potential winners of the inter-confederation playoffs. FIFA also announced that, "in the interest of ensuring competitive balance", two separate pathways to the semifinals (sides of the knockout bracket) were established. Based on this, the teams ranked first (Spain) and second (Argentina) in the ranking were randomly drawn into groups in opposite pathways, as were the teams ranked third (France) and fourth (England). Therefore, should these pairs of teams win their groups, they will be unable to meet until the final, while all four will be unable to meet until the semifinals. The draw started with Pot 1 and ended with Pot 4, with each team selected then allocated into the first available group alphabetically. For the purpose of the match schedule, the Pot 1 teams were automatically drawn into position 1 of each group. For the remaining pots, FIFA established a predetermined pattern to define the position of teams based on their pot and the group they were drawn into.

Result

Team base camps

Base camps will be used by the 48 national squads to stay and train before and during the World Cup tournament.

In addition to the official team base camps, Canadian communities in Alberni Valley on Vancouver Island also sought to be a training camp. The proposal, as an eligible community to host a participating national team for pre-tournament training, was officially recognized by FIFA in July 2025. The proposal centers around the use of the natural-grass field at Bob Dailey Stadium and is noted as the only publicly declared non-host Canadian city to achieve this status for the 2026 tournament.

Match schedule

The match schedule, without group assignments, was announced on February 4, 2024. On June 13, 2024, FIFA released an updated schedule, with specific pairings assigned to venues for the knockout stage. In addition, group stage matches were assigned to specific groups (though pairings for non-host groups were not assigned to specific games until after the final draw). The full schedule was unveiled in a live broadcast on December 6, 2025, the day after the draw.

The opening match was announced to include Mexico, taking place on June 11, 2026, at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. This game will include South Africa. The opening match involving Canada will take place on June 12 at BMO Field in Toronto, while the opening game for the United States will take place on the same day at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Each host nation is scheduled to play its three matches in the group stage within its own country.

AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, will host the most matches of any venue at the tournament with nine. MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will host the final on July 19. The United States will host 78 matches, including from the quarterfinal stage onward, while Canada and Mexico will each host 13. Each tournament venue, except for the Estadio Akron, will host at least one knockout stage fixture. The match schedule will overlap with the 2026 CFL season, resulting in scheduling conflicts and loss of home games for the Toronto Argonauts and BC Lions. The match schedule will also affect the schedules of the Kansas City Royals, Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, and Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball, whose home stadiums are located near World Cup venues.

Host cities were geographically grouped into three regions:

• Western Region (Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles)
• Central Region (Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey, Houston, Dallas, Kansas City)
• Eastern Region (Atlanta, Miami, Toronto, Boston, Philadelphia, New York/New Jersey)

Group stage

Prior to the final draw, stadiums were assigned to specific groups. Following the final draw, pairings were allocated to specific matches, and the kickoff times were confirmed.

All times are local.

Group A

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Group B

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Group C

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Group D

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Group E

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Group F

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Group G

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Group H

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Group I

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Group J

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Group K

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Group L

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Ranking of third-placed teams

The specific match-ups involving the third-placed teams depend on which eight third-placed teams qualify for the round of 32. The 495 possible combinations were published in Annex C of the tournament regulations.

Knockout stage

2026 FIFA World Cup knockout stage

Bracket

Round of 32

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Round of 16

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Quarterfinals

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Semifinals

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Third place

Final

2026 FIFA World Cup final

Statistics

Discipline

A player or team official is automatically suspended for the next match for the following offenses:

• Receiving a red card (red card suspensions may be extended for serious offenses)
• Receiving two yellow cards in two matches; yellow cards expire after the completion of the quarterfinals (yellow card suspensions are not carried forward to any other future international matches)

Marketing

Branding

Broadcasting rights

2026 FIFA World Cup broadcasting rights
On February 12, 2015, FIFA renewed the United States and Canadian broadcasting rights contracts for Fox (U.S. English), NBCUniversal (U.S. Spanish), and Bell Media (Canada) to cover 2026, without accepting any other bids. A report in The New York Times asserted that this extension was intended as compensation for the rescheduling of the 2022 World Cup to November–December rather than its traditional June–July scheduling, as it created considerable conflicts with major professional sports leagues that are normally in their offseasons during the World Cup.

Fútbol de Primera has the Spanish radio broadcasting rights in the United States and Puerto Rico.

The International Broadcast Center (IBC) will be located at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas.

Sponsorships

Regional supporters

Domestic sponsors

FIFA fan festivals

FIFA will stage fan festivals in cities across the host nations, featuring matches on giant screens and live entertainment. Among the confirmed fan fest locations are Liberty State Park in Jersey City, Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, Fort York and The Bentway in Toronto, and East Downtown Houston.

Tickets

Ticket prices for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will range initially from $60 for group stage matches to $6,730 for the final—largely increased from the USD equivalent of $69 to $1,607 in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. However, in September 2025, FIFA confirmed it would use dynamic pricing for tickets for the first time, following the practice used in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Hospitality seats were made available in April 2025 via FIFA's ticket partner for the event.

An initial draw period for non-hospitality seats occurred between September 10–19, 2025, limited to Visa cardholders. A second phase ran from October 27–31, and a third phase started after the final draw of teams on December 5. Sales will be capped at four tickets per person per match, and no person will be able to purchase more than 40 tickets for the overall tournament. FIFA is also expected to start an official resale platform.

Merchandise

FIFA World Cup video games
On October 2, 2025, FIFA announced FIFA Heroes as the official video game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scheduled for release in 2026 on Android, iOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.

Symbols

Mascots

List of FIFA World Cup official mascots

Match ball

Adidas Trionda
List of FIFA World Cup official match balls

Music

List of FIFA World Cup songs and anthems
On May 17, 2023, the official theme song of the tournament was released, an instrumental track simply titled "FIFA World Cup 26 Theme Song". In March 2025, sixteen remixes of theme were released which featured artists from each host city giving their own local spin to the song.

The remixers for each city were:

• Atlanta – Dallas Austin
• Boston – Ben Zakharenko, Dayvin, Berklee College of Music
• Dallas – Tre Nagella
• Guadalajara – Bautista
• Houston – Bombón
• Kansas City – Tech N9ne
• Los Angeles – DJ Flict
• Mexico City – Mexican Institute of Sound
• Miami – Mr. NaisGai
• Monterrey – Toy Selectah
• New York/New Jersey – Take a Daytrip
• Philadelphia – DJ Jazzy Jeff
• San Francisco Bay Area – Dan the Automator
• Seattle – Sango
• Toronto – Hill Kourkoutis
• Vancouver – Grayson Repp

Awards

FIFA Peace Prize

The FIFA Peace Prize is an international award presented by FIFA. Established in 2025, its stated aim is to honor individuals whose actions FIFA characterizes as exceptional contributions to peace and unity, reflecting its campaign slogan "Football Unites the World". According to FIFA, the purpose of the prize is to "reward individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and by doing so have united people across the world".

The FIFA Peace Prize was awarded on December 5, 2025, to United States president Donald Trump during the draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.. FIFA stated that the award recognized his "involvement in ceasefire efforts and diplomatic engagements in several conflicts".

The creation of the prize and the choice of Trump as its first recipient generated widespread scrutiny and controversy. Human rights groups, analysts and football stakeholders questioned the transparency of the selection process, the suitability of the inaugural laureate, and the implications both for FIFA's claims of political neutrality and its human rights commitments.

Selection process

FIFA stated that the Peace Prize would be awarded on the recommendation of an independent committee. However, as of the first award, the organization had not disclosed detailed nomination procedures or evaluation criteria. FIFA had also not made clear the manner by which the recipient was selected or the exact form the prize would take.

According to The New York Times, the prize was not discussed at the FIFA Council or with FIFA vice presidents, none of whom had input into the selection criteria, prior to its creation in October 2025. The process behind the award was not made public: there were no nominations announced and no formal selection criteria given. Human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, criticized the lack of transparency, reporting that queries about nominees, judges, and criteria remained unanswered.

Investigations by The Guardian and other outlets identified Zaw Zaw, a Myanmar businessman and long-serving president of the Myanmar Football Federation, as chair of the selection committee. Critics highlighted his ties to Myanmar's former military junta and to human rights abuses against the Rohingya people, raising concerns about the credibility of a peace award under his oversight.

Prize money

In December 2025, FIFA announced the prizes for all participating nations. This edition's total prize pool will be $655 million, $215 million greater than the prize pool of the previous tournament. Each qualified team will also receive an additional $1.5 million before the competition to cover preparation costs, thus guaranteed a minimum $10.5 million total in prize money.

Concerns

Climate concerns

In January 2025, Queen's University Belfast warned about potential heat risks for most of the host cities and urged FIFA to schedule match kickoffs later into the afternoon or evening, stating that the wet-bulb globe temperature in certain host cities was higher than that of Qatar in the winter. Concerns have also been raised by climate activists about the environmental impact of both the expansion to 48 teams as well as traveling between host cities, most of which will require extensive air travel and increase carbon emissions, a counter to one of FIFA's goals on sustainability. During the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which was also hosted in the United States, several matches reported high temperatures ranging from 90to and weather delays. A report by Scientists for Global Responsibility in July 2025 calculated that the amount of greenhouse gas emissions for the tournament would make it one of the most polluting events in the world as it would be almost double the average for the last four tournaments (2022 reportedly had 5.25e6t), roughly the same amount as 6.5 million cars driven for a year.

In December 2025, FIFA announced that all matches at the 2026 World Cup would include a mandatory three-minute hydration break in each half to allow players to rest in hot conditions. The three-minute period would also be available for commercials at the discretion of tournament broadcasters.

Labor rights concerns in Mexico

In March 2025, the trade union Building and Wood Workers' International (BWI) accused FIFA of blocking a planned labor inspection at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca, which is undergoing renovations in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. According to BWI, FIFA's intervention prevented inspectors from evaluating working conditions at the site, raising concerns about potential labor rights violations similar to alleged instances of slave labor at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

LGBTQ rights in the United States

On June 11, 2025, the Sports & Rights Alliance, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International called on the United States to ensure that LGBTQ rights were upheld during the tournament in light of the Trump administration's alleged erosion of said rights.

Pride Match (Egypt vs. Iran)

Egypt vs Iran at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Conversely, a "Pride Match" was planned in advance to take place in Seattle, organized by the local committee to tie into the local celebration and without endorsement by FIFA. After the draw and release of the schedule, it was determined that this match would feature Egypt and Iran, two countries where homosexuality is punishable by law. Seattle's Pride Match Advisory Committee spokesperson said "The Pride Match has been scheduled to celebrate and elevate Pride events in Seattle and across the country and it was planned well in advance". Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj said both countries had "objections" and that the branding was an "irrational move that supports a certain group." Iran was planning to appeal the decision. The Egyptian Football Association also sent a formal letter to FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström rejecting "in absolute terms" LGBTQ connections to the game.

Immigration policy concerns under the Trump administration

During the bidding process, President Donald Trump's executive orders regarding immigration from certain Muslim-majority countries in 2017 implemented during his first term were touted as a potential risk. Infantino stated, "any team, including the supporters and officials of that team, who qualify for a World Cup need to have access to the country, otherwise there is no World Cup." In response, the Trump administration sent letters to FIFA that read, in part, that Trump was "confident" that "all eligible athletes, officials and fans from all countries around the world would be able to enter the United States without discrimination."

Concerns around the staging of the tournament were also raised during the first meeting of the FIFA World Cup Task Force due to the immigration policy of the second Donald Trump administration. In response, Vice President JD Vance said, "Of course, everybody is welcome to come and see this incredible event, but when the time is up, they'll have to go home. Otherwise, they'll have to talk to Secretary Noem."

On June 11, the Sports & Rights Alliance, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International called on FIFA to ensure that human rights in the United States were upheld during the tournament, especially in light of the use of force during the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles where journalists and protesters were attacked by local police. Following the killings of civilians Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents during immigration enforcement operations in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area, fan group Football Supporters Europe stated that it was "extremely concerned by the ongoing militarisation of police forces in the US."

2025 travel ban and exemptions

In June 2025, the second Trump administration reinstated a travel ban affecting citizens from multiple countries, citing national security concerns. The ban, which was later expanded in December, prohibits the issuance of new immigrant and non-immigrant visas for citizens of 39 affected countries, including those whose teams have qualified for the World Cup—Haiti, Iran, Ivory Coast, and Senegal. The proclamation includes an exemption for any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting events as determined by the Secretary of State.

This exemption ensured that national teams' players, coaches, and staff of those designated countries would be permitted to enter the United States for the competition, but the U.S. State Department confirmed that ordinary citizens of the four countries were not covered by this exemption, making them ineligible for visa issuance to attend the matches. While fans were permitted to submit visa applications with the promise of priority if they provided proof of tickets, the department noted that issuance would be unlikely, barring rare "national interest" waivers. However, this restriction can be circumvented if a fan is a valid visa holder, a permanent resident, or a dual national who applies using a passport not subject to the ban. In such cases, applicants may still be eligible to enter or apply for entry, provided they satisfy all other immigration and security requirements.

On November 27, the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) said it would boycott the December 5 World Cup draw after its president, Mehdi Taj, was denied a visa to enter the United States. Four other delegation members, including head coach Amir Ghalenoei, were approved. An FFIRI spokesperson told state media the United States decision was "unrelated to sport" and said the federation quickly raised the issue with FIFA President Gianni Infantino. However, on December 3, the FFIRI reversed its decision and announced that it would send representatives to the draw, with head coach Ghalenoei serving as the technical representative of the national football team.

Impact of final game halftime show

On September 28, 2024, FIFA announced that Global Citizen, an international advocacy organization, would co-produce a halftime show for the final game at MetLife Stadium, the first halftime show in the history of the World Cup. The show is intended to copy the format of the Super Bowl halftime show, featuring a well-known musical performer to increase the tournament's commercial appeal in the market.

The show has generated debate in the global soccer community. Supporters argue that the event modernizes the World Cup and provides a platform for global cultural exchange and revenue growth. However, critics, players, media, unions, and traditionalist fan groups have criticized what they view as the "Americanization" of soccer. Primary objections focus on the potential extension of the traditional 15-minute halftime interval, which generated an argument that it will disrupt player recovery, interfere with technical coaching adjustments, and break the natural flow of the game.

Notes

References

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• Guyon, Julien, April 30, 2020, Risk of Collusion: Will Groups of 3 Ruin the FIFA World Cup?, Journal of Sports Analytics, 6, 4, 259–279, 10.3233/JSA-200414, free
• January 18, 2017, Penalty shootouts may be used to settle drawn World Cup matches, World Soccer, November 12, 2020, October 28, 2020, live
• Martyn, Ziegler, Format for 2026 World Cup could be revamped amid 'collusion' fears, says Fifa vice-president, The Times, London, April 1, 2022, November 5, 2022, November 13, 2022, live
• May 30, 2015, Current allocation of FIFA World Cup confederation slots maintained, FIFA, dead, May 30, 2015
• October 14, 2016, FIFA Council discusses vision for the future of football, FIFA, dead, October 17, 2016
• October 14, 2016, FIFA blocks Europe from hosting 2026 World Cup, lifting Canada's chances, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Associated Press, live, October 14, 2016
• Hill, Tim, March 9, 2017, Trump travel ban could prevent United States hosting World Cup, live, November 14, 2021, March 24, 2017, The Guardian
• USA, Mexico, Canada announce bid to host '26 WC, April 10, 2017, live, April 11, 2017, Sports Illustrated
• Jeff, Carlise, April 10, 2017, U.S., Mexico and Canada officially launch bid to co-host 2026 World Cup, live, April 11, 2017, ESPN
• Garcia, Arriana, Mexico violence almost cost World Cup 2026 hosting duties - Liga MX president, March 9, 2022, ESPN, March 9, 2022, March 17, 2022, live
• Graham, Bryan Armen, June 13, 2018, North America to host 2026 World Cup after winning vote over Morocco – as it happened, The Guardian, July 12, 2018, July 18, 2018, live
• June 13, 2018, World Cup 2026: Canada, US & Mexico joint bid wins right to host tournament, BBC Sport, live, June 13, 2018, January 14, 2021
• Gyamera-Antwi, Evans, Ghana & Kosovo excluded from Fifa Congress ahead of 2026 World Cup vote, June 13, 2018, Goal.com, June 12, 2018, October 21, 2023, live
• June 7, 2018, Breaking News: President Akufo-Addo dissolves GFA, dead, June 12, 2018, June 14, 2018, myjoyonline.com
• Fifa bans Ghana football head Kwesi Nyantakyi over 'cash gift', June 14, 2018, BBC News, June 8, 2018, June 9, 2018, live
• May 15, 2017, FIFA Congress confirms next steps of the bidding process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup - FIFA.com, April 16, 2024, May 15, 2017, dead
• June 10, 2015, Scandal-plagued FIFA postpones 2026 World Cup bidding, April 16, 2024, ABC News, en-AU, April 16, 2024, live
• Forty-one Cities Across Canada, Mexico and the United States Submit Bids to Serve as Host Cities in United Bid for 2026 FIFA World Cup, dead, September 8, 2017, September 7, 2017
• Carlisle, Jeff, United States-led World Cup bid cuts list of potential host cities to 23, November 25, 2021, ESPN, March 16, 2018, November 25, 2021, live
• Montreal withdraws from host city selection process for 2026 World Cup, July 6, 2021, Sportsnet, July 6, 2021, August 16, 2021, live
• Update on FIFA World Cup 2026 candidate host city process, FIFA, April 14, 2022, April 14, 2022, July 12, 2022, live
• FIFA unveils stellar line-up of FIFA World Cup 2026 Host Cities, FIFA, June 16, 2022, June 16, 2022, June 16, 2022, live
• Tannenwald, Jonathan, November 2, 2022, FIFA goes to college to study how to grow grass indoors for the 2026 men's World Cup, The Philadelphia Inquirer, subscription, November 6, 2022, November 7, 2022, live
• Bonagura, Kyle, February 4, 2024, 2026 World Cup final set for MetLife Stadium, USMNT kicks off in L.A., ESPN, February 4, 2024, February 4, 2024, live
• Toronto FC to expand BMO Field to host 2026 World Cup matches, Cattry, Pardeep, Mlssocer.com, Major League Soccer, April 22, 2021, November 24, 2022, November 24, 2022, live
• June 16, 2022, World Cup 2026 host cities confirmed: What you need to know about the 16 venues, ESPN, November 6, 2022, November 7, 2022, live
• Jones, J. Sam, June 16, 2022, Your guide to 2026 World Cup stadiums and locations in the US, Mexico and Canada, MLSsoccer.com, November 6, 2022, November 7, 2022, live
• Platt, Oliver, September 7, 2017, Rogers Centre removed from list of potential World Cup 2026 venues, October 21, 2025, Waking The Red, en, Mosaic Stadium and TD Place Stadium do not currently meet the minimum-capacity requirement
• Chuck, Booth, Roger, Gonzalez, FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities: Los Angeles, New York/New Jersey among top venues; Washington D.C. snubbed, CBS Sports, June 17, 2022, June 27, 2022, June 27, 2022, live
• Pelit, Asli, February 16, 2024, FIFA RULES MAY COST METLIFE $80M IN WORLD CUP FINAL BRAND VALUE, live, February 16, 2024, July 21, 2024, Sportico
• The FIFA World Cup 26 stadiums, July 15, 2025, November 17, 2025, FIFA, Stadium official names for the FIFA World Cup 26 have been matched with Host City names and may differ from the common designation used locally.
• United 2026 bid book, united2026.com, April 30, 2018, September 15, 2021, live
• Presidente de la FIFA confirma cantidad de plazas de Concacaf para el Mundial de 2026, es, ESPN Deportes, August 31, 2022, October 18, 2022, September 22, 2022, live
• Vargas, Dinia, August 31, 2022, Infantino anuncia cuántos cupos tendrá la Concacaf para el Mundial de 2026, live, August 31, 2022, October 18, 2022, CRHoy.com, es
• FIFA Council highlights record breaking revenue in football, FIFA, February 14, 2023, February 14, 2023, February 14, 2023, live
• FIFA confirms U.S., Mexico, Canada automatically in '26 World Cup, Reuters, February 14, 2023, February 14, 2023, February 15, 2023, live
• March 30, 2017, Bureau of the Council recommends slot allocation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, August 5, 2022, FIFA, June 19, 2022, live
• March 30, 2017, World Cup 2026: Fifa reveals allocation for 48-team tournament, live, March 30, 2017, BBC
• May 9, 2017, FIFA Council prepares Congress, takes key decisions for the future of the FIFA World Cup, dead, June 18, 2017, FIFA
• Tazarit, Imad al-Din, November 2, 2023, Eritrea national team withdraws from the "Moroccan national team group" in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, live, November 9, 2023, November 9, 2023, Dehai News
• Aarons, Ed, Cizmic, Alex, November 13, 2023, Eritrea withdrew from 2026 World Cup qualifying 'over fears players will flee', live, November 13, 2023, January 3, 2024, The Guardian
• November 10, 2023, Eritrea withdraw from FIFA World Cup qualifiers, live, November 13, 2023, November 10, 2023, FIFA
• Suspension of the Congolese Football Association (FECOFOOT) from 6 February 2025 until further notice, FIFA Circular, 1922, February 6, 2025, February 8, 2025, February 11, 2025, live
• FIFA suspends Congo Republic and Pakistan, Reuters, February 7, 2025, February 8, 2025, February 8, 2025, live
• Schedule & Results, CAFonline.com, CAF, March 16, 2025, May 16, 2025, live
• Scores & Fixtures, FIFA, November 28, 2023, live
• Lifting of the suspension of the Congolese Football Association (FECOFOOT), FIFA Circular, 1933, May 14, 2025, May 15, 2025, May 17, 2025, live
• 13 October 2025, Cabo Verde seal historic World Cup qualification, 14 October 2025, FIFA
• Wilson, Jonathan, Curaçao complete fairytale with battling draw in Jamaica to qualify for World Cup, November 19, 2025, The Guardian
• Millar, Colin, 2025-06-05, Uzbekistan, Jordan qualify for World Cup for first time, 2025-11-19, The New York Times, en-US, 0362-4331
• 16 November 2025, Norway Qualifies for 2026 World Cup and Sends Italy To Dreaded Playoff, 16 November 2025, Fox Sports
• Austria, Belgium, Scotland, Spain and Swiss reach World Cup, FIFA, November 19, 2025
• The Boys are back in town, FIFA, November 19, 2025, October 14, 2025
• October 14, 2025, Qatar and Saudi Arabia qualify for 2026 World Cup, October 15, 2025, ESPN
• Groups revealed in star-studded Final Draw, FIFA, December 5, 2025, December 6, 2025
• Procedures for the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026 revealed, FIFA, November 25, 2025, November 25, 2025
• Draw Procedures for the FIFA World Cup 2026, FIFA, November 25, 2025, November 25, 2025
• FIFA World Cup 26 – Match Schedule, FIFA, February 4, 2024, February 4, 2024, February 5, 2024, live
• Bushnell, Henry, Crafton, Adam, August 22, 2025, 2026 World Cup draw to be held at Kennedy Center, President Trump announces, August 22, 2025, The New York Times, en-US, 0362-4331, limited
• Johnson, Dale, November 25, 2025, Fifa to keep top seeds apart in World Cup draw, November 25, 2025, BBC Sport
• FIFA shares potential World Cup 26 Team Base Camp locations, June 12, 2024, fifa.com, June 12, 2024, June 12, 2024, live
• FIFA World Cup 26 expands Team Base Camp brochure: 26 new options added, FIFA, November 21, 2024, January 15, 2025, November 21, 2024, live
• 14 new Team Base Camp options added as road to 2026 continues, April 17, 2025, inside.fifa.com, April 17, 2025, live
• Schirgi, Heimo, Team Base Camp brochure, October 23, 2025, FIFA
• Rock Chalk Park, 2026-01-25, The University of Kansas, en
• Jackson, Malik, January 21, 2026, Argentina, England, Netherlands, Algeria to base 2026 World Cup camps in Kansas City metro: Sources, January 25, 2026, Fox4 Kansas City, en-US, Kuntz, Harold, Holt, John, January 20, 2026
• Flores, Pricila, February 4, 2026, Austrian National Soccer Team Selected to Stay in Goleta, Practice at UCSB, February 4, 2026, Noozhawk, en-US, February 4, 2026
• Arnold, Christian, January 14, 2026, Brazilian national team to train at Red Bull NY's brand new facility during 2026 World Cup, January 19, 2026, New York Post, en-US
• Mitchell, Ryan, January 27, 2026, It is not the United States! The Colombian national team knows its official venue for the 2026 World Cup, January 27, 2026, Marca, en-US
• Thrasher, Tyler, January 17, 2026, Croatia national soccer team to base FIFA World Cup training in Alexandria, January 17, 2026, Fox5 DC, en-US
• Evertsz, Pa E., January 17, 2026, Curaçao sets Boca Raton as 2026 World Cup base camp, FAU to host training, January 17, 2026, Deporte Awe, en-US
• January 12, 2026, La seleccion ecuatoriana de futbol tendra en Columbus su sede de entrenamiento durante la copa del mundo, February 6, 2026, Es
• January 12, 2026, Coupe du Monde 2026: Didier Deschamps à la recherche du camp de base ! (INSIDE), January 12, 2026, YouTube, Fr
• Silverman, Alex, January 9, 2026, Wake Forest to serve as Germany’s World Cup base camp training site in U.S., January 19, 2026, SBJ, en-US
• Broderick, Kelly, January 18, 2026, Japan's national football team will be using Nashville as a home base for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, January 19, 2026, WTVF, en-US
• Austerheim, Daniel, January 24, 2026, Bekreftet: Dette blir Norges basecamp under VM, January 24, 2026, Nettavisen Sport, no, Greensboro, North Carolina, will be Norway's home base ahead of and between the group matches in Norway's first men's World Cup finals in 28 years. The NFF does not specify which hotel they will stay in, but there is only one option in FIFA's catalog for Greensboro. It's called Grandover Resort, and is described as a premium resort with access to golf courses and a spa, among other things.
• January 30, 2026, Lopetegui inspects Qatar’s World Cup base in California, February 1, 2026, The Peninsula, en-US
• 5 February 2026, Saudi National Team Selects Austin as Main Camp Base for World Cup 2026, 5 February 2026, Asharq Al-Awsat
• Kim, Young-joon, January 22, 2026, South Korea's World Cup Base Camp in Guadalajara, January 22, 2026, The CHOSUN Daily, en-US
• MacCoon, Patrick, January 13, 2026, Spain reportedly chooses Chattanooga as headquarters for first two rounds of 2026 FIFA World Cup, January 19, 2026, Chattanooga Times Free Press, en-US
• January 15, 2026, The Swiss national team will be staying in this luxury hotel during the World Cup, January 15, 2026, blue News, en-US
• Tenorio, Paul, November 19, 2025, USMNT’s 2026 slate takes shape: World Cup sendoff in Chicago, March friendlies booked, November 19, 2025, The Athletic, en-US
• Uruguaya, Selección, January 14, 2026, FIFA confirmó nuestra base operativa en la Copa Mundial: Playa del Carmen, January 14, 2026, X, es-URU
• July 30, 2025, Port Alberni Recognized by FIFA as Eligible Training Base for World Cup 2026, October 13, 2025, FIFA 2026 Vancouver Island Festivities – Your Progress, en-US
• Dheensaw, Cleve, May 14, 2025, Langford, Alberni Valley groups bidding to host 2026 World Cup training camps, October 13, 2025, Times Colonist, en
• FIFA World Cup 26 final to be held in New York New Jersey, Mexico City to host historic opening match as schedule revealed, FIFA, February 4, 2024, February 4, 2024, February 7, 2024, live
• FIFA World Cup 26 match schedule Q&A, FIFA, February 4, 2024, February 4, 2024, February 5, 2024, live
• FIFA World Cup 26 shares teams' "homes away from home"; host nations' potential pathways to glory unveiled, FIFA, June 12, 2024, June 14, 2024, July 12, 2024, live
• Updated match schedule to be unveiled live in Washington DC on 6 December, FIFA, December 1, 2025, December 1, 2025
• Dominski, Michael, World Cup 2026 schedule announcement live updates: Latest as FIFA selects host city for final, The Athletic, February 4, 2024, February 4, 2024, February 6, 2024, live
• Toronto Argonauts to play three extra away games during 2026 FIFA World Cup, August 15, 2025, 3DownNation
• B.C. Lions weighing different markets, temporary stadium for 2026 World Cup eviction, May 29, 2025, 3DownNation, JC, Abbott
• MLB announces 2026 regular season schedule, MLB.com
• FIFA World Cup 2026 Regulations, FIFA, May 2025, June 7, 2025, June 23, 2025, live
• Scores & Fixtures, December 10, 2025, FIFA
• Cristiano Ronaldo: Portugal captain avoids ban for start of nation's 2026 World Cup campaign, November 25, 2025, Sky Sports
• Disciplinary overview: FIFA World Cup 26 Qualifiers, FIFA, October 7, 2025, November 16, 2025
• Disciplinary overview: FIFA World Cup 26 Qualifiers, FIFA, November 5, 2025, November 16, 2025
• Cook, Glenn, May 17, 2023, FIFA Unveils Logo For 2026 World Cup in North America, May 18, 2023, SportsLogos.Net News, en-US, May 18, 2023, live
• Cook, Glenn, May 18, 2023, 'Is That It?': Reaction to 2026 World Cup Logo Swift, Overwhelmingly Negative, May 18, 2023, SportsLogos.Net News, May 18, 2023, live
• Cook, Glenn, May 19, 2023, FIFA, Host Cities Roll Out Specific Branding for 2026 World Cup, November 25, 2023, SportsLogos.Net News, en-US, November 25, 2023, live
• Unprecedented Host City brands launched to bring FIFA World Cup 26 destinations to life, November 25, 2023, www.fifa.com, November 25, 2023, live
• Shah, Parshva, May 18, 2023, 'It's beautiful' - USMNT striker Jesus Ferreira disagrees with people who hate FIFA's World Cup 2026 logo, live, May 18, 2023, May 19, 2023, Goal.com, en-US
• Borg, Simon, May 18, 2023, Fans rip FIFA World Cup 2026 logo after official reveal for men's tournament in USA, Mexico and Canada, live, May 19, 2023, May 19, 2023, Sporting News, en
• Deitsch, Richard, February 12, 2015, FIFA grants Fox, Telemundo U.S. TV rights for World Cup through 2026, Sports Illustrated, June 26, 2018, April 8, 2020, live
• Sandomir, Richard, February 26, 2015, Why FIFA Made Deal With Fox for 2026 Cup, live, April 8, 2020, June 26, 2018, The New York Times
• February 12, 2015, FIFA extending TV deals through 2026 World Cup with CTV, TSN and RDS, The Globe and Mail, live, April 10, 2016
• FIFA, March 4, 2025, FIFA World Cup 26 Media Partners
• Rosenbaum, Steven, December 11, 2024, Dallas approves $15 million spending to serve as media hub for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, live, December 12, 2024, CBS News
• 2026 FIFA World Cup International Broadcast Center will be in Dallas, December 11, 2024, FOX News, December 11, 2024, live
• March 5, 2025, FIFA World Cup 26™ International Broadcast Centre to be hosted in Dallas, live, March 18, 2025, March 5, 2025, FIFA
• November 21, 2013, FIFA and adidas extend partnership until 2030, June 28, 2017, May 10, 2017, FIFA
• April 25, 2024, Aramco and FIFA announce global partnership, April 25, 2024, FIFA, April 25, 2024, live
• Matthews, Sam, November 22, 2005, Coca-Cola renews Fifa football sponsorship until 2022, live, August 27, 2017, May 10, 2017, Campaign
• May 25, 2023, Hyundai and Kia renew FIFA partnerships until 2030, with Boston Dynamics and Supernal to showcase future mobility solutions, March 26, 2024, March 26, 2024, FIFA, live
• Lenovo named Official FIFA Technology Partner, FIFA, October 15, 2024, November 4, 2024, live
• November 22, 2023, FIFA renews longstanding partnership with Qatar Airways, extending through to 2030, March 26, 2024, March 26, 2024, FIFA, live
• FIFA extends global partnership with Visa, including FIFA World Cup 2026, March 26, 2024, inside.fifa.com, March 26, 2024, dead
• FIFA announces AB InBev as official beer sponsor of FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 and FIFA World Cup 2026, dead, March 26, 2024, March 26, 2024, FIFA
• American Airlines joins as Official North American Airline Supplier of FIFA World Cup 26™, April 18, 2025, live
• FIFA announces Bank of America as Official Bank Sponsor of FIFA World Cup 26, FIFA, August 15, 2024, August 16, 2024, live
• Lay's named Official Sponsor of FIFA World Cup 26 and FIFA Women's World Cup 2027, FIFA, September 12, 2024, September 12, 2024, live
• September 5, 2025, Hisense continues long-standing partnership with FIFA by becoming FIFA World Cup 26™ Sponsor, FIFA
• FIFA and McDonald's renew long-standing partnership, with collaboration continuing for FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 and FIFA World Cup 2026, dead, March 26, 2024, March 26, 2024, FIFA
• Mengniu extends FIFA Women's World Cup and FIFA World Cup sponsorship until 2030, dead, March 26, 2024, March 26, 2024, FIFA
• FIFA, May 12, 2023, Unilever personal care brands unveiled as Official Sponsors of FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, March 26, 2024, FIFA, March 26, 2024, live
• FIFA, September 24, 2024, Verizon named Official Telecommunication Services Sponsor for FIFA World Cup 26 and Official Tournament Supporter for FIFA Women's World Cup 2027, September 24, 2024, FIFA, September 24, 2024, live
• November 18, 2025, DoorDash named Official Tournament Supporter of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and FIFA Women's World Cup 2027, FIFA
• January 6, 2025, Marriott Bonvoy to provide unmatched fan access to FIFA World Cup 2026, FIFA
• FIFA announces multi-year agreement with Rock-it Cargo as Official Logistics Provider of FIFA World Cup 26, live, November 21, 2024, November 21, 2024, FIFA
• Valvoline Global confirmed as Official FIFA World Cup 26 Supporter, live, May 30, 2025, FIFA
• June 12, 2025, Airbnb and FIFA announce major multi-tournament partnership, live, June 15, 2025, Inside FIFA
• Diageo named Official Spirits Supporter in North, Central and South America for FIFA World Cup 26™, live, May 12, 2025, FIFA
• FIFA and Globant sign expanded partnership to deliver innovative digital services
• FIFA welcomes The Home Depot as Official Home Improvement Retail Supporter for FIFA World Cup 26 in North America, live, December 4, 2024, December 4, 2024, inside.fifa.com
• FIFA World Cup 2026 Miami Host Committee, FIFA World Cup 2026 Miami Host Committee
• Eagles, Comcast among Philadelphia eight World Cup supporters, Alex, Silverman, January 30, 2026, Sports Business Journal
• FIFA World Cup 26™, live, June 17, 2025, Bay Area Host Committee
• Atlanta marks one year until FIFA World Cup with sponsors, projects, Collin, Kelley, June 11, 2025, Rough Draft Atlanta, June 7, 2025, live
• FIFA World Cup 26 Atlanta™, FIFA 2026 Atlanta, June 7, 2025, live
• Atlanta adds NAPA as World Cup host city supporter, Alex, Silverman, September 11, 2025, Sports Business Journal
• FIFA World Cup 2026™ in Boston, 2025-12-22, Meet Boston, en-us
• Wilen, Holden, June 11, 2025, Coca-Cola Southwest signs on as Dallas' first World Cup sponsor, live, June 27, 2025, Dallas Business Journal
• Prisbell, Eric, December 3, 2025, Choctaw becomes Official Dallas World Cup 2026 Host City Supporter, December 4, 2025, Dallas News
• FWC26 Houston | FIFA World Cup 2026 | Houston, TX, USA, FIFA 2026 Houston, June 17, 2025, live
• NRG Energy Signs on as Official Houston Supporter for FIFA 2026 World Cup, Matt, Traub, February 10, 2025, March 23, 2025, live
• Rice University named Official Houston World Cup 2026 Host City Supporter, January 30, 2026, January 30, 2026, Rice University, Stipes, Chris
• Bragg, Trason, September 3, 2025, Sugar Land embraces World Cup fever with new host city supporter role, khou.com
• October 28, 2025, Kansas City leads the way with FIFA Fan Festival™ Concepts, Host City Supporter for the FIFA World Cup 26™, Yahoo
• Host City Supporters, November 20, 2025, FIFA World Cup 26™ Kansas City
• Dornbrook, James, June 11, 2025, KC unveils Purina and Populous as World Cup sponsors, live, June 17, 2025, June 17, 2025, Kansas City Business Journal
• FIFA World Cup 26 Los Angeles™, December 10, 2025, Los Angeles FIFA World Cup 26™ Host Committee
• LA Tourism | Discover Los Angeles, Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board
• LA Metro Joins The Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission As The Official Public Transit Provider For The Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Host City, Andy, Ashford, June 6, 2025
• Royal Caribbean Named Official Miami World Cup 2026 Host City Supporter, February 5, 2026, Royal Caribbean
• December 8, 2025, Hackensack Meridian Health Named Official New York New Jersey World Cup 2026 Host City Supporter, Championing Community Health and Investment, Hackensack Meridian Health
• July 16, 2025, Onyx Equities announced as first Official New York New Jersey World Cup 26 Host City Supporter, FIFA World Cup 2026™ NYNJ
• October 20, 2025, Paul, Weiss Launches Dedicated Sports Practice; Named Official Law Firm of the New York New Jersey World Cup 2026 Host Committee, Paul, Weiss
• Bergeron, Tom, December 4, 2025, PSEG ready to power FIFA World Cup, December 10, 2025, BINJE
• Sports Illustrated joins as official sponsor of NY/NJ Host Committee for 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ethan, Joyce, January 19, 2026, Sports Business Journal
• Seattle FIFA World Cup 2026, seattlefwc26.org, June 18, 2025, live
• August 28, 2025, City of Toronto partners with Humber Polytechnic on local delivery of FIFA World Cup 2026™ Host City volunteer program, City of Toronto
• City of Toronto signs Ontario Power Generation as first Official FIFA World Cup 2026™ Toronto Host City Supporter, June 10, 2025, City of Toronto, June 27, 2025, live
• FIFA World Cup 26™ Toronto, City of Toronto
• Blum, Ronald, Fan fest in Jersey City will be open for all 104 World Cup matches next year, March 25, 2025, NBC New York, February 11, 2025, February 12, 2025, live
• Traub, Matt, Philadelphia to Host FIFA Fan Festival at Lemon Hill in 2026, March 25, 2025, SportsTravel, June 20, 2024, June 20, 2024, live
• City of Toronto announces Fort York and The Bentway for its FIFA Fan Festival location, City of Toronto, May 7, 2025, May 15, 2025, June 1, 2025, live
• Jenkins, Cassandra, EaDo selected as site for 2026 FIFA World Cup Fan Festival; officials lay out preparation plan for games, March 25, 2025, CommunityImpact, June 11, 2024, June 22, 2024, live
• September 3, 2025, FIFA to use dynamic pricing for World Cup tickets, September 3, 2025, ESPN.com, en
• FIFA World Cup 26™ mascots make video game debut as playable characters in FIFA® Heroes, October 2, 2025, October 15, 2025, FIFA, en
• Hernandez, Cesar, September 25, 2025, Who are the 2026 World Cup mascots? Maple, Zayu and Clutch!, September 25, 2025, ESPN.com, en
• Colourful trio of mascots unveiled for FIFA World Cup 26, FIFA, September 25, 2025
• Steiner, Ben, May 2, 2025, FIFA World Cup 2026 'Trionda' Match Ball Leaks, Featuring U.S., Mexico and Canada Colors, live, May 2, 2025, Sports Illustrated
• October 2, 2025, FIFA celebrates launch of Official Match Ball of FIFA World Cup 26™: TRIONDA, October 2, 2025, FIFA
• The Official FIFA World Cup 26™ Theme, May 17, 2023, YouTube, May 30, 2025, live
• February 26, 2025, Official FIFA World Cup 26™ Sonic IDs celebrate diversity and creativity of Host Cities, live, February 26, 2025, FIFA
• FIFA Peace Prize – Football Unites the World, FIFA, 5 December 2025, 6 December 2025
• Gupta, Shirin, What is the FIFA Peace Prize? Trump wins peace prize from FIFA President Gianni Infantino; watch, Hindustan Times, 6 December 2025, 6 December 2025
• Graham, Bryan Armen, Beaumont, Peter, December 5, 2025, Trump awarded inaugural Fifa peace prize at World Cup draw in Washington, December 6, 2025, The Guardian, London
• Kim, Seung Min, December 5, 2025, FIFA gives Trump a peace prize in a departure from its traditional focus on sport, December 6, 2025, AP News, Associated Press
• Donald Trump awarded FIFA peace prize at World Cup draw, Sky News, 5 December 2025, 6 December 2025
• Donald Trump awarded first FIFA 'peace prize' at football World Cup draw, Dawn, Karachi, 6 December 2025, 6 December 2025
• Church, Ben, December 6, 2025, What is the FIFA Peace Prize and why did Donald Trump win?, December 6, 2025, Radio New Zealand
• Harb, Ali, December 6, 2025, Infantino's 'Peace Prize' to Trump raises questions about FIFA's neutrality, December 6, 2025, Al Jazeera
• Global: FIFA needs to act on human rights, Amnesty International, 4 December 2025, 6 December 2025
• Asia's deadly rains, Haiti's election plan, and Trump's peace prize – Cheat sheet, The New Humanitarian, 5 December 2025, 6 December 2025
• Smith, David, 2025-12-05, Trump wins his peace prize from Fifa – any chance of a VAR review?, 2025-12-09, The Guardian, en-GB, 0261-3077
• Dunbar, Graham, 6 November 2025, What to know about FIFA's new peace prize and who might receive it, 30 November 2025, AP News, en
• Crafton, Adam, 2025-12-05, Human Rights Watch questions FIFA over 'Peace Prize,' receives no response, 2025-12-06, The New York Times, en-US, 0362-4331
• Bedigan, Mike, 'This is pathetic:' Fans react as Trump receives first ever FIFA Peace Prize, The Independent, 5 December 2025, 6 December 2025, live, 6 December 2025
• Human Rights Watch criticizes FIFA's Peace Prize, Yahoo News, DPA, 3 December 2025, 6 December 2025
• World Cup 2026: FIFA needs to act on human rights, sportanddev, 4 December 2025, 6 December 2025
• Boffey, Daniel, December 4, 2025, Myanmar junta 'crony' given key role behind Fifa peace prize, December 6, 2025, The Guardian
• Dalby, Chris, December 4, 2025, FIFA's Peace Prize Is Run by a Man Accused of Aiding Ethnic Cleansing, December 6, 2025, Sports and Crime Briefing
• Crafton, Adam, 17 December 2025, FIFA Council approves record $655m prize fund for 2026 World Cup, 17 December 2025, The New York Times
• MacInnes, Paul, 17 December 2025, World Cup prize money increased by 50% as Fifa offers $50m for 2026 winners, 17 December 2025, The Guardian
• January 30, 2025, Rethink kick-off times during 2026 FIFA World Cup to protect footballers from extreme heat, live, April 26, 2025, Queen's University Belfast
• How Soccer's Carbon Footprint Adds Up: A Closer Look at the Global Game Called Football, Jennifer, L, March 27, 2025, Carbon Credits, March 28, 2025, live
• Extreme heat at the Club World Cup: Latest weather updates at tournament venues, Jon, Hoefling, USA Today, June 23, 2025, June 24, 2025, June 24, 2025, live
• Extreme heat at the Club World Cup: Players and fans voice concerns as temperatures soar, Sarah, Shephard, Asli, Pelit, The Athletic, June 23, 2025, June 24, 2025, June 24, 2025, live
• Roan, Dan, July 9, 2025, World Cup 2026 'most polluting ever' claims report, December 10, 2025, BBC Sport
• December 8, 2025, All World Cup matches to have hydration breaks, BBC Sport, December 9, 2025
• Bushnell, Henry, December 8, 2025, 2026 World Cup to feature three-minute hydration breaks in every half throughout tournament, The Athletic, subscription, December 9, 2025
• MacInnes, Paul, Fifa accused of blocking labour inspection at 2026 World Cup stadium, March 24, 2025, The Guardian, March 11, 2025, March 11, 2025, live
• World Cup: A Year Out, Growing Attacks on Rights, June 11, 2025, Sport & Rights Alliance, June 12, 2025, live
• Kunti, Samindra, June 12, 2025, Pressure groups unite to urge FIFA action on human rights at World Cup, live, June 12, 2025, Inside World Football
• Smith, Emma, December 8, 2025, 2026 World Cup 'Pride Match' to feature Egypt and Iran, December 9, 2025, BBC Sport, en-GB
• James, Alastair, December 9, 2025, Iran and Egypt object to playing World Cup 'Pride Match', December 9, 2025, PinkNews, en-US
• December 9, 2025, Iran objects to 'Pride Match' branding of World Cup game against Egypt, December 9, 2025, The Straits Times, en, 0585-3923
• Smith, Emma, December 9, 2025, 2026 World Cup: Seattle 'Pride Match' set to happen despite Egypt objections, December 10, 2025, BBC Sport, en-GB
• Das, Andrew, June 12, 2018, How 3 Letters From Trump Might Help Bring the 2026 World Cup to the U.S., September 28, 2020, The New York Times, June 12, 2018, live
• Madarang, Charisma, Trump Admin Warns FIFA World Cup Fans: 'Don't Overstay Your Visa', Rolling Stone, May 7, 2025, May 7, 2025, May 7, 2025, live
• June 7, 2025, Los Angeles protests live: Troops sent by Trump arrive in LA with more immigration raid protests expected, live, June 13, 2025, June 8, 2025, BBC News
• Roan, Dan, 2026-01-30, 2026 World Cup: Fan group 'extremely concerned' by ICE raids in US before summer tournament, 2026-02-02, BBC Sport, en-GB
• Abnos, Alexander, June 5, 2025, Trump travel ban includes exemption for World Cup and Olympic athletes, live, June 5, 2025, June 5, 2025, The Guardian
• Abnos, Alexander, December 17, 2025, World Cup countries Senegal and Côte d'Ivoire among additions to Trump travel ban, December 17, 2025, The Guardian
• December 16, 2025, Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Further Restricts and Limits the Entry of Foreign Nationals to Protect the Security of the United States, December 18, 2025, The White House, en-US
• Crafton, Adam, November 20, 2025, U.S. Government's travel bans mean many Haitian fans will not be able to go to World Cup, November 25, 2025, The New York Times, en-US, 0362-4331
• Travel Ban and its impact for the nationals of Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela. What you need to know. - WOLA, September 20, 2025, November 25, 2025, WOLA, en-US
• Miceli, Cristina, November 20, 2025, U.S. Travel Ban Could Block Thousands Of Fans From The 2026 FIFA World Cup, November 25, 2025, The Travel, en
• MacInnes, Paul, 28 November 2025, Iran to boycott World Cup draw over lack of visa for federation president, 28 November 2025, The Guardian
• 3 December 2025, Iran says to attend World Cup draw in apparent U-turn, 3 December 2025, Radio France Internationale, Agence France-Presse
• Willman, Chris, September 28, 2024, Global Citizen to Produce Halftime Show for FIFA World Cup Final, Starting in 2026, December 19, 2025, Variety
• Marcotti, Gabriele, March 8, 2025, FIFA, Infantino can have a World Cup halftime show: Just end it in 15 minutes, December 19, 2025, ESPN, en
• Smith, Brian T., March 5, 2025, 'Nobody wants this' – FIFA angers fans with major 2026 World Cup announcement that could turn Final into NFL Super Bowl show, December 19, 2025, talkSPORT, en-gb

External links

• FIFA World Cup 2026, FIFA.com