The 2026 World Cup is just over two years away and preparations have begun for the quadrennial carnival, which moves from the cosy surroundings of Qatar 2022 to the vast expanse of the Americas, encompassing the US, Canada and Mexico.
A total of 16 cities – 11 in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada – have been selected to host a special edition of the World Cup.
This will be the first World Cup finals co-hosted by three countries. Also, a record number of teams will take part in it, up from 32 to 48, which means greater representation across the globe.
The return of the World Cup to North America for the first time since 1994 is significant. The rise of Major League Soccer and the move by Argentine superstar Lionel Messi to MLS club Inter Miami is a sign of the growing popularity of the sport in the region.
It was therefore no surprise when Fifa announced that the 2026 World Cup final will be held at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, beating competition from Texas and California.
Canada will host 13 games in total, including 10 in the group stage split between Toronto and Vancouver. Mexico also gets 13 games, including 10 during the group stage in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. The rest of tournament will be held in 11 cities across the US.
The opening match of the tournament will be at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca on June 11, making it the first nation to stage the World Cup for a third time.
The final takes place on July 19 at the MetLife Stadium, which has a capacity of 82,500 and hosted the Copa America Centenario final in 2016 where Chile denied Messi's Argentina for a second time.
"The most inclusive and impactful Fifa World Cup ever is no longer a dream but a reality that will take shape in the form of 104 matches in 16 state-of-the-art stadiums across Canada, Mexico and the USA," Fifa president Gianni Infantino said.
"From the opening match at the iconic Estadio Azteca to the spectacular final in New York New Jersey, players and fans have been at the core of our extensive planning for this game-changing tournament ... that will not only set new records but also leave an indelible legacy."
The matches in US will take place at venues that were purpose-built for NFL matches. That poses a unique challenge as many venues use artificial surface for American football.
Lumen Field in Seattle has started the process of putting down a grass surface. It is not the only venue facing "surface tension". The BC Place in Canada, AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas), Mercedes Benz Stadium (Atlanta), MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford), Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Massachusetts), NRG Stadium (Houston) and SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, California) will also need to come up with grass surfaces for the finals.
Venues for the 2026 Fifa World Cup and their capacity
USA
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood (Los Angeles), California: Capacity 70,000 (expandable to 100,000)
MetLife Stadium, New Jersey: Capacity 82,500
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Dallas: Capacity 80,000
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami: Capacity 65,000
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City: Capacity 76,000
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta: Capacity 71,000
Gillette Stadium, Foxborough (Boston): Capacity 65,000
NRG Stadium, Houston: Capacity 72,000
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia: Capacity 67,000
Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, San Francisco Bay Area: Capacity 68,500
Lumen Field, Seattle: Capacity 68,000
MEXICO
Azteca Stadium, Mexico City: Capacity 83,000
Estadio Akron, Guadalajara: Capacity 46,000
Estadio BBVA, Monterrey: Capacity 53,000
CANADA
BMO Field, Toronto: Capacity 30,000
BC Place, Vancouver: Capacity 54,000
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Results
%3Cp%3E%0D%3Cstrong%3EElite%20men%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Amare%20Hailemichael%20Samson%20(ERI)%202%3A07%3A10%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Leornard%20Barsoton%20(KEN)%202%3A09%3A37%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Ilham%20Ozbilan%20(TUR)%202%3A10%3A16%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Gideon%20Chepkonga%20(KEN)%202%3A11%3A17%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Isaac%20Timoi%20(KEN)%202%3A11%3A34%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EElite%20women%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Brigid%20Kosgei%20(KEN)%202%3A19%3A15%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Hawi%20Feysa%20Gejia%20(ETH)%202%3A24%3A03%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Sintayehu%20Dessi%20(ETH)%202%3A25%3A36%0D%3Cbr%3E4.%20Aurelia%20Kiptui%20(KEN)%202%3A28%3A59%0D%3Cbr%3E5.%20Emily%20Kipchumba%20(KEN)%202%3A29%3A52%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
India squads
T20: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shivam Dube, Shardul Thakur
Test: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Scorebox
Dubai Sports City Eagles 7 Bahrain 88
Eagles
Try: Penalty
Bahrain
Tries: Gibson 2, Morete 2, Bishop 2, Bell 2, Behan, Fameitau, Sanson, Roberts, Bennett, Radley
Cons: Radley 4, Whittingham 5
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
ASIAN%20RUGBY%20CHAMPIONSHIP%202024
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EResults%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EHong%20Kong%2052-5%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESouth%20Korea%2055-5%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EMalaysia%206-70%20Hong%20Kong%3Cbr%3EUAE%2036-32%20South%20Korea%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFixtures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFriday%2C%20June%2021%2C%207.30pm%20kick-off%3A%20UAE%20v%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EAt%20The%20Sevens%2C%20Dubai%20(admission%20is%20free).%3Cbr%3ESaturday%3A%20Hong%20Kong%20v%20South%20Korea%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The bio
His favourite book - 1984 by George Orwell
His favourite quote - 'If you think education is expensive, try ignorance' by Derek Bok, Former President of Harvard
Favourite place to travel to - Peloponnese, Southern Greece
Favourite movie - The Last Emperor
Favourite personality from history - Alexander the Great
Role Model - My father, Yiannis Davos
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
