The World Cup is coming to Texas. Following the official announcement this past summer, that Houston and Arlington would both host World Cup games, numerous reports have indicated that the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final will be held in Texas at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Initially reported by ESPN, Arlington, Texas appears to have been selected as the host of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final, the biggest sporting event in the world. Shortly thereafter, British tabloid, The Sun, corroborated the story.
“SunSport has been told that the home of the Dallas Cowboys has beaten New York’s MetLife Stadium to host the showpiece,” the publication states in the article. “The Texan city will also be the main base for Fifa — rather than the other options of New York and Miami.”
FIFA plans to make the official announcement in February.
2026 World Cup final in New York or Los Angeles?
Neither. 🫠@espnsutcliffe reporting it will be in Dallas. . . Jerryland. 🏟
Thoughts?
— herculez gomez (@herculezg) September 27, 2022
In 2026, the World Cup bracket will consists of 12 groups of 4 teams, rather than 16 groups of three teams as it has done in the past. In total, the World Cup expects to put on 104 games across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, over 20 more than in previous years.
Each group will see the top two teams progress, and an additional advancement will be granted to the Round of 32 for the eight highest-ranking third-place teams.
Houston will host a mininum 4 games. One of those games will be a knockout round. Last May, officials debuted Houston’s city colors and branding.
Who’s ready to host the FIFA World Cup 26™!? 🙋 #WeAre26 #WeAreHouston #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/lcslWGdAYI
— FIFA World Cup 26 Houston™ (@FWC26Houston) May 22, 2023
“This world cup will not only be the biggest sporting event our community has ever seen but will help solidify our reputation as one of the premier sports destinations in the United States,” said Houston Sports Authority CEO Janis Burke. “We look forward to using the World Cup 2026 to showcase Houston’s diversity, culture, and love of soccer!”