NYC Takes Shot At Hosting 2026 World Cup

NEW YORK CITY — New York hopes it has the right pitch to host the 2026 World Cup.

A joint New York City-New Jersey committee is expected to host two FIFA inspectors this week as the football — that's "soccer," to everyone not American on the globe — authorities tour candidate cities for a unique upcoming World Cup.

The FIFA inspectors will take a tour Tuesday of the 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium in the Meadowlands, NJ.com first reported. It's one of 17 candidate cities across the country — a number that is expected to be winnowed.

“There is never a stipulation of exactly how many we're going to have in each country,” FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani said in Atlanta last week, the Associated Press reported. “At the end of the day, we're going to make the best decision for the World Cup itself, whatever that number may be.”

The 2026 World Cup will be the first hosted in three nations — the United States, Canada and Mexico. Now the question is what cities will be selected.

All three cities that Mexico put up — Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara — are expected to host.

Canada also submitted three cities, but Montreal dropped out over provincial government concerns over rising costs, the Associated Press reported. Toronto and Edmonton remain as Canada's candidate cities.

Montreal's dive means the United States could have 11 host cities, rather than 10 initially expected.

FIFA officials, besides New York City-New Jersey, plan to or have visited Boston, Nashville, Atlanta, Orlando, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Kansas City, Houston, Dallas and Cincinnati.

Read more about the candidate cities and selection process here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.