On Tuesday the list of U.S. candidate host cities for the FIFA World Cup 2026 was announced. In the coming weeks, FIFA and U.S. Soccer will hold workshops for the U.S. bidders as the next step is taken in the venue selection process.
Overseeing the U.S. city selection is former U.S. Soccer CEO Dan Flynn who also served oversaw the Chicago portion of the 1994 FIFA World Cup. The goal is to provide the bidders with an overview of the selection process and how each city will be assessed for the 48-team tournament.
“We are looking forward to moving into the planning phase of preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026,�? said Flynn. “We are incredibly honored that the United States has 17 world-class cities competing to be part of the first 48-team FIFA World Cup in history. There’s no doubt that over the next year, we will have an incredibly spirited competition between the cities to get selected as a final venue.�?
The decision to make Canada, Mexico, and the United States the host nations was made on June 13, 2018, when the bid earned 134 votes, beating out Morocco’s 65 votes. The workshop was supposed to take place in March but was postponed due to COVID-19. Following this step the cities and stadiums will undergo visits.
So did Boston make the list? Yes, yes it did.
U.S. CANDIDATE HOST CITIES Atlanta Miami Baltimore Nashville Boston New York/New Jersey Cincinnati Orlando Dallas Philadelphia Denver San Francisco Bay Area Houston Seattle Kansas City Washington, DC Los Angeles
The venue for Boston would be the 70,000 (World Cup Capacity) seat Gillette Stadium located in Foxboro Massachusetts. In 1994 the old 54,456 seat Foxboro Stadium served as a host site for six matches. The 1994 World Cup is considered by many to be a major spark of interest in the United States in the sport of soccer and is credited to serving as a jumping-off point for MLS. Many believe that 2026 could have a similar impact as the popularity of the sport continues to rise year-after-year.
In terms of who is managing the Boston bid, New England Revolution President Brian Bilello is serving as the chairman of Boston 2026 as of the last update in the Summer of 2018. Bilello wasn’t alone in his support of the bid. Boston’s Mayor Marty Walsh and other key stakeholders in the community were involved. When the bid was submitted it listed Babson College, Wellesley College, Harvard University, Revs Training Fields, and the Nobles and Greenough Schol as possible practice sites.
