USMNT Opens in Los Angeles on June 12, Will Play in Seattle on June 19, and Returns to Los Angeles on June 25; World Cup Final to be Held at New York/New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19; All Dates and Corresponding Venues for 2026 FIFA World Cup Announced
Report by USSoccer.com
The U.S. Men’s National Team will play group stages matches in Los Angeles, Calif., and Seattle, Wash., at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as announced by FIFA on Sunday afternoon. During a nationally televised broadcast on FOX and Telemundo which included an appearance by USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter, the sport’s governing body revealed the tournament’s full schedule, which will culminate with the final to be played in New York/New Jersey at MetLife Stadium.
The quadrennial tournament is set to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11-July 19, 2026.
The USMNT will begin its journey through the tournament’s group stage at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium on June 12, before heading up the west coast for their second match at Lumen Field in Seattle on June 25, and will conclude group play with a return to SoFi Stadium for a match on June 26.
“It’s great to finally learn where we will be for the group stage. It really starts to bring things to life,” Berhalter said.
“We would have been happy with any of the venues because we know the home support is going to be incredible. When you think about Los Angeles, it’s an iconic soccer city which has already hosted three World Cup Finals. It’s going to be an amazing venue for us. With Seattle you have a rich fan culture and an incredible atmosphere in the stadium. I get goosebumps thinking about it already. It’s not only about the cities hosting the World Cup, it’s about all the communities across America really getting behind us and creating this wave of support that really pushes the team to try to go and reach new heights.”
Dates
The tournament begins on June 11, 2026, when co-hosts Mexico will host the opening match at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. Beyond the group stage, Round of 32 matches will be played from June 28 to July 3, followed by the Round of 16 from July 4 to July7. The tournament’s quarterfinals will take place from July 9-11, preceding the semifinals on July 14 and 15. The third-place match will then take place at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on July 18 ahead of the final the next day.
The full group stage schedules for co-hosts Canada and Mexico were also revealed on Sunday. Canada will play at Toronto’s BMO Field on June 12, then at Vancouver’s BC Place on June 18 and June 24. Mexico will in turn play in Estadio Azteca on June 11, at Guadalajara’s Estadio Akron on June 18, and once again at Estadio Azteca on June 24. Early Online betting would suggest that fans expect a strong showing from Mexico.
The 2026 edition marks the first time the FIFA World Cup has been hosted across three nations and just the second occasion that countries have co-hosted the competition, following Korea Republic and Japan in 2002.
Overall, 16 cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico will host a total of 48 teams and 80 matches under the newly expanded format, making it the largest FIFA World Cup in history. The tournament previously featured 32 teams that competed in the last seven iterations dating back to 1998 when the number of participants was increased from 24.
The full list of cities selected to host matches in 2026 in alphabetical order are:
UNITED STATES: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area and Seattle.
MEXICO: Guadalajara, Mexico City, Monterrey
CANADA: Toronto, Vancouver
