Tuesday, June 13th, 2018 -- As the countdown clock inches even close to the official start of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, soccer fans in the U.S. will have to begin a new countdown clock as the United Bid of Canada, Mexico and the United States was selected to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday.
The is the first time in 34 years that North America will host the tournament and the United Bid defeated its only challenger, Morocco, by a vote of 134 to 65. The United States last hosted the 1994 World Cup which saw the tournament set a record for attendances and profits.
The 2026 World Cup is the first tournament set to expand from the current format of 32 to 48 nations. Out of a total of 80 matches in the 2026 World Cup, 10 will be held in Canada and 10 will be held in Mexico with 60 in the U.S.
If you're hoping to catch the 2026 World Cup in Phoenix you're out of luck as the United Bid has already ruled out Phoenix as a host. The U.S. cities that have been picked are Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, Nashville, Cincinatti, Atlanta, Orlando, Miami, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston. The Mexican cities are Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Mexico City. The Canadian cities are Edmonton, Montreal, and Toronto.