Host Cities of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Quiz

Answer:

FIFA chose the 16 host cities - two in Canada, three in Mexico, and 11 in the USAs - from an initial pool of 41 candidates. This was the first World Cup to feature multiple host countries since the practice was banned after the 2002 edition held in Japan and South Korea. Some of the wrong answers listed, such as Ottawa and Phoenix, had their bids rejected. Other options like Chicago and Montreal voluntarily withdrew their bids before the conclusion of the selection process. Baltimore and Denver were among those on the finalist list that did not make the cut.

Among the cities that were chosen, Mexico City was the only national capital of the three host nations picked. It had the honor of hosting the opening match of the tournament, Mexico vs. South Africa. That left Washington, D.C. and Ottawa to join a list with Bonn, Germany and Tokyo, Japan as national capitals of FIFA World Cup hosts to not host any matches. Many of the cities are suburbs of larger, more recognizable metropolitan areas. Santa Clara (San Francisco), Arlington (Dallas), and Guadalupe (Monterrey) are a few such hosts. Even the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was held in New York City suburb - East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Many of the stadiums themselves will be named after their host or nearby city for the duration of the World Cup. Arrrowhead Stadium, for instance, was known as Kansas City Stadium. Gillette Stadium (Boston Stadium), AT&T Stadium (Dallas Stadium), and Mercedes-Benz Stadium are among the venues which had their corporate sponsorship names (not allowed by FIFA) replaced by city names for broader recognition by an international audience.

But that's not all that changed at these stadiums! Half of the 16 fields feature artificial turf, which was either covered over or fully replaced by natural grass playing surfaces for the World Cup matches. Stadiums like BMO Stadium in Toronto had their seating capacity expanded, from 30,000 to over 43,000. That still made it the smallest venue by fan count. Mexico City, by contrast, can hold the most fans, at over 80,000.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 23rd iteration of the tournament, began on June 11 and finished on July 19.