Phoenix Listed As Possible 2026 World Cup Host City 

August 16, 2017 -  Soccer fans in the Valley can rejoice as Phoenix and the University of Phoenix Stadium were listed as a potential 2026 World Cup Host City by the United Bid Committee of the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

A total of 49 stadiums/44 host cities were also named to the list. 37 stadiums are in the U.S., nine are in Canada, and three are in Mexico.

From this, the Bid Committee will include 20-25 venues in its final bid to FIFA and if North America is selected as the location of the 2026 World Cup, at least 12 of these locations could be Official Host Cities.

The University of Phoenix Stadium is no stranger to high-profile soccer matches. Just recently it hosted the Quarterfinals of the 2017 Gold Cup and it hosted three matches during the Copa America Centenario, including the third-place match. The stadium has also hosted U.S. Men’s National Team, U.S. Women’s National Team, and Mexico national team friendlies.

If you’re already planning ahead and looking at the calendar for vacation spots in 2026 that you can drive to, the Las Vegas Stadium for the Raiders was listed as well as the Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. Los Angeles has three venues listed and they are the Rose Bowl, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and LA Stadium at Hollywood Park.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature a 48-team field, which will provide many opportunities to watch matches. Hopefully Phoenix will be one of them as the United Bid Committee will review the submissions by cities and they will issue a shortlist of cities by late September.