Reviewing the top World Cup 2026 stadiums in the USA. Have the lessons fom the Copa America Final fiasco been learnt?
It’s the biggest soccer tournament in the world, and in two years' time, the honour of hosting it falls to the United States of America. It’s not just down to them. Canada and Mexico are co-hosting the competition alongside them. However, the main focus will be on the US, and in this article, we take a look at the situation regarding the USA World Cup stadiums and their state of readiness. Here is the full list of stadiums staging the tournament.
Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts
Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida
Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California
Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
A little later, we take a brief look at some of the top venues.
There can be little doubt that the US will turn the event into something quite spectacular. They’re well-known for their razzle-dazzle approach to any major sporting event. It’s guaranteed to make things even more exciting, especially for those who like to bet on sporting outcomes, says Kate Richardson, MightyTips’ strategic betting analyst. It’s just perfect for bookies like Betfred, who have one of the best set-ups to handle this amount of activity, which is exactly why Betfred stands out among bookmakers.
It's not the first time that the US has hosted a World Cup tournament. They did so before back in 1994, so there are already some World Cup stadiums in the USA, and the basic infrastructure already exists. The tournament is not only going to be a spectator fest extraordinaire, both for physical spectators and those watching through live streaming worldwide; it will also be an online gamblers paradise.
Great things are expected of Brazil, and as their talisman, Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (known simply as Neymar), says, “Obviously, the World Cup is the goal for every player. I’ve already played in it three times, and of course, I want to play in the fourth.”
Time will tell, as Neymar will be 36 when it comes around, but the world at large is hoping his skills will grace the pitch.
England, too, is hoping to put meaning to the “Football’s Coming Home” tune, but as current skipper Harry Kane says, “In America, it will be an incredible occasion, and ultimately it’s about trying to win that, looking at where you are, where to improve and it will be no different in a couple of years."
However, on the back of the security issues that came to light at the 2024 Copa America final that took place at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium on the 14th of July 14th, soccer fans all over the world are debating whether the United States is actually up to the task of safely co-hosting what will in all probability be the biggest sporting event the world has witnessed to date.
The incident in question saw thousands of fans storm the gates of the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the Miami Dolphins. and one of the designated US stadiums for the 2026 World Cup. Many of the marauding fans managed to climb over the tall fences, and some even tried to gain entry to the stadium via its ventilation system.
All in all, about 7,000 who didn’t have tickets for the game between Argentina and Colombia managed to get into the stadium. The resultant overcrowding left many people who had paid thousands of dollars for legit tickets unable to get in to watch the match.
To be fair, the blame was mostly down to CONMEBOL because they didn’t implement the security procedures put forward by the 2026 World Cup committee and FIFA. But as the incident took place on US soil, that is where many people perceive the blame should lie.
As hosts of the 2026 World Cup, the USMT doesn’t have to worry about qualifying and plays its first game at the Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles. The date for your diary is the 12th of June. We list the 4 of the other top venues below, starting with the AT&T Stadium.
Of all the World Cup 2026 stadiums the USA has earmarked, the AT&T stadium in Dallas is the one where most matches will take place. The stadium is the venue for 9 matches in all, one of which will be one of the two semifinals. When it was first announced that the stadium would host the most matches, the excitement was intense, and there was a high expectation that the crowning glory would be the final itself. However, those hopes were dashed when it was revealed that the final would take place at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
Which one of the World Cup 2026 stadiums in the USA has been selected to host the final match of the tournament? As just mentioned above, it’s the MetLife stadium in New York, New Jersey, and the match is scheduled to take place on Sunday, the 19th of July. The MetLife will host 8 games in total. Apart from the crowning glory of the final, the other 7 matches include 5 Group Stage games, 1 game from the Round of 32, and 1 from the Round of 16.
The MetLife is a multi-purpose stadium. It was opened back in 2010 and is home to both the New York Jets and Giants. It also hosted the 2016 Copa America Centenario final, where Chile beat Argentina on penalties after extra time. It was the sort of match that live sport bettors get really excited about.
As Kate Richardson, an expert in developing and implementing data-driven, profitable sports betting strategies [oimny=ts out: the ability to be able to change your bet as the game unfolds gives you an improved chance of not losing your stake money. The odds tend to get lower, but it still means you can win, even if the amount you get isn’t as much as you might have hoped.
The 2026 World Cup locations of stadiums will include Seattle. With sustainability at its core, Luman Field Stadium will host 6 World Cup 2026 matches – 4 Group Stage matches, one of which will feature the USMNT, 1 Round of 32 and 1 Round of 16 games.
The stadium was originally built in 1997, and in order to ensure the venue is up to the mark in terms of the demanding requirements of such events, various modernise and upgrade projects are underway to ensure the best possible fan experience.
Despite the controversy of the 2024 Copa America final, Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium is named as one of the USA World Cup stadiums. 7 matches will be staged here. They include one of the quarterfinals and the match to determine who claims 3rd place in the tournament.
Visiting fans are expected from all over the world, not only for the tournament itself but also to enjoy the delights of Miami and what is one of the most popular tourist cities on the planet.
The security officials are using the events of the 2024 Copa America final as a learning event and a catalyst to reassess and, if necessary, upgrade its safety precautions. For example, the main security perimeters will be extended to a distance of 300 metres from the stadium’s main entrances. Other safety features will include switchback barriers and a fan festival area where fans can shop, get food and rest. Hard Rock’s security team is also keen to point out that World Cup 2026 hosting was bid for by cities and not stadiums. It means that more money will be available to prevent any repeat of what happened earlier in July.
