There is something about stadium lists that football fans cannot resist. Before a single match is played, before the draw is made, before anyone knows who is even going to qualify — people want to know where it is all going to happen. What will the pitch look like? How big is the crowd going to be? Which stadium gets the final?
For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, those questions have particularly satisfying answers. Across sixteen venues in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the tournament will unfold in some of the most extraordinary sporting arenas on the planet — NFL stadiums that regularly hold ninety thousand people, a legendary Mexican venue that hosted Pelé in 1970 and Maradona in 1986, and a Canadian stadium where a generation of fans watched their national team qualify for the World Cup for the first time in thirty-six years.
This is your complete guide to all sixteen stadiums, with everything you need to know about each one before June 11 arrives.
The Quick Numbers First
Before getting into the individual venues, here is the overall picture:
| Stat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total stadiums | 16 |
| USA venues | 11 |
| Mexico venues | 3 |
| Canada venues | 2 |
| Largest stadium | AT&T Stadium, Dallas — 92,967 capacity |
| Smallest stadium | BMO Field, Toronto — 45,736 capacity |
| Final venue | MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey |
| Tournament dates | June 11 – July 19, 2026 |
The FIFA World Cup 2026 Stadiums List at a Glance
| Stadium | City | Country | Capacity | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MetLife Stadium | East Rutherford, NJ | USA | 87,157 | Groups, R32, R16, Final |
| AT&T Stadium | Arlington, TX | USA | 92,967 | Groups, R32, R16, Semi-final |
| Estadio Azteca | Mexico City | Mexico | 87,523 | Groups, R32, R16 |
| Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta, GA | USA | 75,000 | Groups, R32, R16, Semi-final |
| Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City, MO | USA | 76,640 | Groups, R32, Quarter-final |
| SoFi Stadium | Inglewood, CA | USA | 70,240 | Groups, R32, Quarter-final |
| NRG Stadium | Houston, TX | USA | 72,220 | Groups, R32, R16 |
| Hard Rock Stadium | Miami Gardens, FL | USA | 67,518 | Groups, R32, QF, 3rd-place |
| Levi’s Stadium | Santa Clara, CA | USA | 70,909 | Groups, R32 |
| Lumen Field | Seattle, WA | USA | 69,000 | Groups, R32, R16 |
| Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia, PA | USA | 69,328 | Groups, R16 |
| Gillette Stadium | Foxborough, MA | USA | 65,878 | Groups, R32, Quarter-final |
| BC Place | Vancouver, Canada | Canada | 54,500 | Groups, R32, R16 |
| Estadio BBVA | Guadalupe, NL | Mexico | 53,460 | Groups, R32 |
| Estadio Akron | Zapopan, Jalisco | Mexico | 48,071 | Groups only |
| BMO Field | Toronto, Canada | Canada | 45,736 | Groups, R32 |
The Venues, One by One
MetLife Stadium — East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA
Capacity: 87,157 | Hosts: Final
This is where it all ends. MetLife Stadium, sitting just across the Hudson River from Manhattan, will host the 2026 World Cup Final — and given the setting, with one of the world’s most recognisable skylines as a backdrop, it is going to be one of the most visually spectacular finals in the tournament’s history. The stadium is currently home to both the New York Giants and New York Jets in the NFL, and it hosted the Copa America final in 2016. Now it gets the biggest match in football.
AT&T Stadium — Arlington, Texas, USA
Capacity: 92,967 | Hosts: Group stage, Round of 32, Round of 16, Semi-final
The largest stadium in the tournament — and honestly, the largest in the NFL — AT&T Stadium in Arlington is what happens when a stadium is built with absolutely no intention of being modest. Known to Cowboys fans as “The Death Star,” it holds nearly 93,000 people and is one of the most technologically advanced sports venues in the world. It will host a semi-final, which means one of the last four teams standing will have to play in front of almost a hundred thousand people in Texas heat. No pressure.
Estadio Azteca — Mexico City, Mexico
Capacity: 87,523 | Hosts: Group stage, Round of 32, Round of 16
This is the one with history. Real, layered, almost mythological history. The Azteca hosted the 1970 World Cup — the one Pelé won with Brazil in arguably the greatest team performance the tournament has ever seen. It then hosted the 1986 final, and in between it gave the world Maradona’s “Hand of God” and his solo dribble against England, widely regarded as the greatest goal ever scored. In 2026, it becomes the first stadium in history to host matches at three separate World Cups. The altitude in Mexico City — over 2,200 metres above sea level — will once again give visiting teams real problems. Some things about football never change.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium — Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Capacity: 75,000 | Hosts: Group stage, Round of 32, Round of 16, Semi-final
Atlanta’s stadium is one of the most architecturally striking on this list — a retractable-roof venue with an octagonal opening that gives it an almost futuristic appearance. Home to both the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and MLS side Atlanta United FC, it will host a semi-final, which makes it one of the four most important venues in the entire tournament.
Arrowhead Stadium — Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Capacity: 76,640 | Hosts: Group stage, Round of 32, Quarter-final
According to the Guinness World Records, Arrowhead Stadium is the loudest outdoor sports venue on the planet. That record belongs to the Kansas City Chiefs’ NFL fans — a fanbase that treats noise as a tactical weapon. Football fans attending a World Cup quarter-final here are going to experience something they will not forget quickly.
SoFi Stadium — Inglewood, California, USA
Capacity: 70,240 | Hosts: Group stage, Round of 32, Quarter-final
Completed in 2020 and one of the newest stadiums on this list, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood is Los Angeles’s flagship sports venue, home to both the Rams and the Chargers. It is also set to host both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics — so it will have seen quite a bit of global attention by the time the decade is out.
NRG Stadium — Houston, Texas, USA
Capacity: 72,220 | Hosts: Group stage, Round of 32, Round of 16
Houston’s stadium is one of the most experienced international football venues in the United States — the US men’s national team has played many significant matches here, and the atmosphere for football specifically tends to be strong. The heat and humidity of a Houston summer will be a factor for players unfamiliar with the conditions.
Hard Rock Stadium — Miami Gardens, Florida, USA
Capacity: 67,518 | Hosts: Group stage, Round of 32, Quarter-final, Third-place match
Miami’s stadium hosts the third-place play-off, which admittedly nobody is particularly excited about — but it also hosts a quarter-final, which is a much bigger deal. Hard Rock Stadium is one of the most multi-purpose venues in the US, having hosted the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, and the Miami Open tennis tournament. For World Cup 2026, it adds football to that impressive résumé.
Levi’s Stadium — Santa Clara, California, USA
Capacity: 70,909 | Hosts: Group stage, Round of 32
Home of the San Francisco 49ers and the venue for Super Bowl 50 in 2016, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara is one of the Bay Area’s premier sporting destinations. It will host group-stage and Round of 32 matches, meaning teams playing here in the early rounds will do so in one of the most pleasant stadium environments on the West Coast.
Lumen Field — Seattle, Washington, USA
Capacity: 69,000 | Hosts: Group stage, Round of 32, Round of 16
Seattle’s stadium has a horseshoe shape that gives it a distinctive skyline view, and its reputation for atmosphere — built by the MLS’s Seattle Sounders and the NFL’s Seahawks — is well established. It has also previously hosted matches in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Champions League, so it is no stranger to international football.
Lincoln Financial Field — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Capacity: 69,328 | Hosts: Group stage, Round of 16
The home of the Philadelphia Eagles was inaugurated in 2003 with a match between Manchester United and Barcelona, which is not a bad way to open a stadium. It hosts a Round of 16 match in 2026, which means a knockout game with a team’s World Cup on the line will be played here. Philadelphia’s football fanbase, which is famously passionate, should make for a memorable atmosphere.
Gillette Stadium — Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA
Capacity: 65,878 | Hosts: Group stage, Round of 32, Quarter-final
Gillette Stadium is currently undergoing renovation ahead of the tournament, which means it will be in its best condition when the World Cup arrives. Home to the New England Patriots in the NFL and the New England Revolution in MLS, it previously hosted matches at the 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup. A quarter-final in 2026 will be its biggest football moment yet.
BC Place — Vancouver, Canada
Capacity: 54,500 | Hosts: Group stage, Round of 32, Round of 16
BC Place sits on the banks of Vancouver’s False Creek inlet and was the main venue for the 2010 Winter Olympics. With a retractable roof and a setting that looks genuinely beautiful from the outside, it is one of the more scenic venues on this list. Vancouver Whitecaps FC call it home in MLS. In 2026, it will host a Round of 16 match — a knockout game in one of Canada’s most visually spectacular cities.
Estadio BBVA — Guadalupe, Nuevo León, México
Capacity: 53,460 | Hosts: Group stage, Round of 32
Known locally as “El Gigante de Acero” — the Steel Giant — Estadio BBVA is the home of Liga MX club Monterrey and sits in the industrial heartland of northern Mexico. It is a modern stadium with a passionate local fanbase, and the group-stage atmosphere here is going to be intense.
Estadio Akron — Zapopan, Jalisco, México
Capacity: 48,071 | Hosts: Group stage only
The smallest of the three Mexican venues, Estadio Akron in Zapopan — just outside Guadalajara — is home to C.D. Guadalajara, one of Mexico’s most beloved clubs. It hosts group-stage matches only, but for fans who make it to Jalisco, the local football culture and the stadium’s setting make it one of the more characterful venues on the entire list.
BMO Field — Toronto, Canada
Capacity: 45,736 | Hosts: Group stage, Round of 32
The smallest stadium in the tournament, BMO Field, carries enormous emotional weight for Canadian football. It was here that the Canadian men’s team secured their qualification for the 2022 World Cup — ending a thirty-six-year absence from the tournament — with a victory over Jamaica in front of a crowd that was well beyond capacity in spirit if not in numbers. In 2026, the team plays its home World Cup matches on this same pitch. For Canadian football, that is a genuinely special thing.
Also Read: 10 Interesting Facts About FIFA World Cup 2026 That Every Football Lover Must Know
What Makes This Stadium List Unlike Any Other World Cup
The sheer geographic spread of these sixteen venues is unprecedented for any previous World Cup. A team could play a group-stage match in Vancouver, travel to Houston for their second game, and then face a Round of 16 fixture in New York. The distances involved — sometimes exceeding 4,000 kilometres between venues — mean tournament logistics will be a storyline in themselves.
But what this spread also guarantees is that the 2026 World Cup will reach corners of North America that have never hosted football at this level before. Cities that were not obvious football markets are going to be changed by this experience. And in sixteen different stadiums across three countries, from a historic ground in Mexico City that has already witnessed two of football’s greatest moments to a brand-new venue in Los Angeles that is still finding its identity — something remarkable is going to happen.
Probably multiple things. In multiple cities. Over thirty-nine days. That is worth showing up for.