WorldCupExplain
Tournament

Which stadiums host the 2026 World Cup, and what are their capacities?

By the WorldCupExplain editorial teamUpdated 2026-06-14
In a nutshell

The 2026 World Cup uses 16 stadiums across three countries: 11 in the United States, 3 in Mexico and 2 in Canada. The opening match is at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City — the largest at 80,824 — and the final is at MetLife Stadium near New York. Confirmed capacities range from 43,036 to 80,824.

Key Facts
  • 116 stadiums host the tournament: 11 in the USA, 3 in Mexico, 2 in Canada[1]
  • 2FIFA confirmed the official tournament seating capacities for all 16 venues[1]
  • 3The largest is Estadio Azteca, Mexico City (80,824); MetLife Stadium (80,663) hosts the final[1]
  • 4The smallest is BMO Field in Toronto (43,036)[1]
  • 5Estadio Azteca becomes the first stadium ever to host matches at three World Cups (1970, 1986, 2026)[2]

This is the first World Cup spread across three host nations, so the venues are scattered over a continent and several time zones.

How many stadiums, and where?

Sixteen: 11 in the United States, 3 in Mexico and 2 in Canada. The opening match is at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City and the final at MetLife Stadium near New York.

Which are the biggest and smallest?

Estadio Azteca is the largest at 80,824; BMO Field in Toronto is the smallest at 43,036. Confirmed capacities range between those two.

What's the full venue list?

FIFA uses sponsor-free names (e.g. SoFi Stadium appears as "Los Angeles Stadium"); common names are shown below.

StadiumCityCountryCapacity
Estadio AztecaMexico CityMexico80,824
MetLife StadiumNew York / New JerseyUSA80,663
AT&T StadiumDallasUSA70,649
SoFi StadiumLos AngelesUSA70,492
Arrowhead StadiumKansas CityUSA69,045
Levi's StadiumSF Bay AreaUSA68,827
NRG StadiumHoustonUSA68,777
Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphiaUSA68,324
Mercedes-Benz StadiumAtlantaUSA68,239
Lumen FieldSeattleUSA66,925
Hard Rock StadiumMiamiUSA64,478
Gillette StadiumBostonUSA64,146
BC PlaceVancouverCanada52,497
Estadio BBVAMonterreyMexico51,243
Estadio AkronGuadalajaraMexico45,664
BMO FieldTorontoCanada43,036
If You Know NFL/NBA...

You already know most of these buildings: AT&T Stadium (Cowboys), Arrowhead (Chiefs), SoFi (Rams/Chargers), MetLife (Giants/Jets) and more are NFL homes. The big adjustment is the field — soccer needs natural grass, so several artificial-turf NFL stadiums are laying temporary real grass just for the tournament, the way a venue converts for a one-off event.

Sources & References
  1. FIFA — FIFA World Cup stadium capacities confirmed(accessed 2026-06-13)
  2. FIFA — FIFA World Cup 26 host cities and stadiums(accessed 2026-06-13)
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