Nashville On Long Shortlist For 2026 World Cup Host Cities

NASHVILLE, TN — The committee pushing to bring soccer's 2026 World Cup to the United States, Canada and Mexico released its list of potential host cities Tuesday, including Nashville.

The United Bid Committee, which will submit its bid to soccer governing body FIFA in March 2018, identified 49 stadiums in 44 cities — 34 in the U.S, seven in Canada and three in Mexico — from which it expects to send 20 to 25 as part of its bid package. If FIFA then selects the NAFTA bid, a dozen or so cities will actually host games. Requests for Information from the 44 cities are due back to the UBC in early September.

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"Nashville would be thrilled to serve as a host city and welcome the world for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the single greatest celebration of international soccer. Nissan Stadium continues to outperform expectations for attendance at soccer matches that come to Music City, and I hope that by 2026, Nashville will be well underway as a top competitor in Major League Soccer," Mayor Megan Barry said in a statement.

Nashville was included in U.S. Soccer's bid to bring the World Cup to the United States in either 2018 or 2022. Ultimately, FIFA awarded the event to Russia and Qatar, respectively, in a process seen as rife with corruption and leading to the arrest of numerous international soccer power players and the ousting of FIFA's top leaders.

In addition to a stadium capable of hosting international soccer — requirements are a 40,000-seat facility for early-round matches and 80,000 for the final; Nissan Stadium would not be eligible for final round matches — each city must propose international-level training sites and locations for team base camps, and hotels for teams, staff and VIP’s. The Bid Committee will also evaluate cities on their commitment to sustainable event management, human rights, environmental protection, aspirations to develop soccer and the positive social impact they anticipate in the local community and beyond stemming from the event.

The list of cities and venues are:

• Atlanta, Mercedes-Benz Stadium
• Baltimore, M&T Bank Stadium
• Birmingham, Ala., Legion Field
• Charlotte, N.C., Bank of America Stadium
• Chicago, Soldier Field
• Cincinnati, Paul Brown Stadium
• Cleveland, First Energy Stadium
• Dallas, Cotton Bowl
• Dallas/Arlington, AT&T Stadium
• Denver, Sports Authority Field at Mile High
• Detroit, Ford Field
• Green Bay, Wisc., Lambeau Field
• Houston, NRG Stadium
• Indianapolis, Lucas Oil Stadium
• Jacksonville, Fla., EverBank Field
• Las Vegas, Raiders Stadium
• Los Angeles, Memorial Coliseum
• Los Angeles/Inglewoood, LA Stadium at Hollywood Park
• Los Angeles/Pasadena, Rose Bowl
• Miami, Hard Rock Stadium
• Minneapolis, U.S. Bank Stadium
• Nashville, Nissan Stadium
• New Orleans, Mercedes-Benz Superdome
• New York/New Jersey, MetLife Stadium
• Orlando, Camping World Stadium
• Philadelphia, Lincoln Financial Field
• Phoenix/Glendale, University of Phoenix Stadium
• Pittsburgh, Heinz Field
• Salt Lake City, Rice-Eccles Stadium
• San Antonio, Alamodome
• San Diego, Qualcomm Stadium
• San Francisco/San Jose/Santa Clara, Levi's Stadium
• Seattle, CenturyLink Field
• Tampa, Raymond James Stadium
• Washington/Landover, FedEx Field
• Calgary, Alb., McMahon Stadium
• Edmonton, Alb., Commonwealth Stadium
• Montreal, Stade Olympique
• Montreal, Stade Saputo
• Ottawa, TD Place Stadium
• Regina, Sask., Mosaic Stadium
• Toronto, Rogers Centre
• Toronto, BMO Field
• Vancouver, BC Place
• Guadalajara, Jallisco, Estadio Chivas
• Mexico City, Estadio Azteca
• Monterey, Neuvo Leon, Estadio Rayaros

The 2026 World Cup is the first in which FIFA has allowed joint bids and will be the first to feature 48 teams. The only other confirmed official bid, beyond the NAFTA effort, is from Morocco.

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