Soccer fans outside enjoy the festivities prior to the match between Mexico and Uruguay at NRG Stadium Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, in Houston.
One of the biggest sporting events in the world will be played in Houston in four years. Houston’s NRG Stadium was named as one of the 16 host sites for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first one hosted by three different countries with games being played in the United States, Mexico and Canada. It will be just the second time the United States has hosted a World Cup. The only other time was in 1994 when matches were played at nine different venues with the championship being played at the Rose Bowl.
The 16 stadiums selected to host games are:
FIFA will announce at a later date which of those cities will be selected to host the championship, semifinal, quarterfinal and round of 16 matches, while others will host games from the group stage.
Houston…?–𝐄 𝐀?‘𝐄 𝐀 𝐆𝐎 ?…𝐎?‘ 𝐋𝐀?”𝐍𝐂𝐇!!! 🚀⚽️🏆 pic.twitter.com/OO34xYIv9A
There were 17 United States stadiums in the running before Thursday’s announcement, which had been narrowed down from the original 38 stadiums that put in pitches to host. The U.S. finalists who weren’t selected were: Baltimore/Washington D.C., Cincinnati, Denver, Los Angeles’ Rose Bowl – FIFA selected SoFi Stadium instead – Nashville and Orlando.
Houston was considered a near-lock to secure a spot in the field because of its experience hosting big-time events. NRG Stadium has been home to two Super Bowls and two Final Fours, with another coming next year. It also will host the college football national championship game in January 2024. The stadium also has drawn more than 70,000 fans for soccer matches, including World Cup qualifiers and CONCACAF semifinals.
The 2022 World Cup begins Nov. 21 in Qatar.
