Last week, FIFA released a list of 23 candidates of host cities for the 2026 World Cup. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, becoming the first tournament to feature three hosts. In addition, for the first time, the tournament will feature 48 competitors. The list currently has three venues in Mexico and Canada, along with 17 venues in the United States.
AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas is one of the finalists on the list. The Dallas/Fort Worth area has seen World Cup action before. Back in the 1994 World Cup, the Cotton Bowl hosted six games, including the quarterfinals match between Brazil and The Netherlands.
The 23 candidate host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup 🇺🇸🇲🇽🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/k5y4jdgRgb
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) January 27, 2021
Is AT&T a suitable venue?
It’s perfect. The stadium has a capacity that is able to expand to 105,000. FIFA requires that stadiums need to have a 40,000 to 80,000 minimum capacity, and AT&T Stadium does meet the standard. In addition, the size of the stadium also speaks for itself as well as the luxuries provided. There’s also the large video screen. Supporters from all over will certainly get a kick of out the stadium.
AT&T Stadium has a history of hosting major events such as WrestleMania 32, Super Bowl XLV, the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship, and the 2018 NFL Draft. In addition, the stadium has hosted numerous College Football games, concerts, and many other events. WrestleMania 38 will take place at AT&T Stadium.
Furthermore, AT&T stadium has hosted many soccer matches, including international exhibitions. Semifinal matches from the 2013 and 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments took place there, as well. Games from CONCACAF Gold Cup tournaments of 2009 and 2011 were also played at AT&T Stadium.
With its history of hosting many major events, AT&T Stadium has a reputation for being a very popular and useful venue. AT&T Stadium’s track record speaks for itself, and it’s very convincing. So it’s perfectly capable of featuring World Cup matches for the 2026 tournament.
FIFA is hoping to announce the official candidates by the end of this year.
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