Football Ground Map
Football Ground Map
While Americans, Canadians, and Mexicans will be getting excited about the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup at the moment, they may also be looking forward to what the 2026 edition will bring following the recent announcement to have been made.
The three national teams will all be competing in the upcoming edition of the global spectacle, with many hoping that they will be left feeling proud about their performances; something we will look to go over in the latter portion of this article.
The main focus, though, will be on the cities to have been announced and where fans in North America - and from the rest of the world - will be potentially heading to watch their favorite football teams compete when this edition of the tournament takes place on the sporting calendar.
In a recent press release by FIFA, it has been revealed that there will be a total of 11 cities used as hosts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. These cities will be split across three countries, with the U.S. sharing hosting commitments with Canada and Mexico.
The cities to have been selected are as follows:
As can be seen, the bulk of the 48-team tournament will be played in the U.S. with 60 games scheduled to be played here, while it is understood that Mexico and Canada will host 10 games each. Interestingly, many of the stadiums that will be used in the U.S. will be venues that have been built to host NFL contests.
For instance, SoFi Stadium - home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers - will be used in Los Angeles whereas MetLife Stadium will be used when matches take place in New York/New Jersey; home for the New York Giants and New York Jets.
While it has not been confirmed yet, it would not be a surprise to see either of these two venues be utilized for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final, either. Indeed, this could be something that many in New Jersey may be hoping will happen.
As of now, many in the Garden State are able to place sports bets on the biggest events to take place, and it is likely that they will with Qatar 2022 given the USMNT's participation in that upcoming competition, however they would be equally as excited once the next tournament comes around in four years time if the Final is held there.
Indeed, while fans in Jersey will be having local matches and get the most of the sports betting opportunities that are provided to them, they would love to have a chance to be able to go and witness football's two top countries that year battle it out for the biggest prize in the sport.
However, as mentioned, many of them will already be looking to take advantage of the situation that has presented itself with the event that takes place just a matter of months from now, as they will be able to wager on games that involve the USMNT.
But, what are their chances of being successful in the upcoming competition?
As we know, the USMNT has been placed inside Group B where they will square off against England, Iran, and Wales for a place in the next phase of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Group B is set.
— USMNT (@USMNT) June 5, 2022
#Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/e9YWf7cjJS
It is undoubtedly going to be an incredible challenge for Gregg Berhalter's side, with individuals such as Christian Pulisic going to have to be at their very best to ensure that they are able to get something from the games that they will play.
There will be plenty of optimism around the team, although there will be many that will be expecting to see top performances from the team, given the fact that they will be hosting the next FIFA World Cup to be staged.
Naturally, the same can be said about Canada and Mexico in regard to the displays that they produce in Qatar, although there may be varying expectations regarding the two national sides and their chances in this year's event.
Canada will be playing in its first FIFA World Cup for 36 years after making its only previous appearance in 1986, therefore expectations may be a little more relaxed as it is a sporting occasion that they are not typically accustomed to. Nonetheless, some will want to see strong performances in Group F.
Many will not give them too much of a chance, though, as they will face Belgium, Croatia, and Morocco for a place in the knockout stages.
Mexico, on the other hand, will fancy their chances as the perennial competitors have been placed in Group C where they will come up against Poland, Argentina, and Saudi Arabia. El Tri has managed to test the South Americans in previous editions, and they will be hoping to make things difficult for them once again. They could find Poland tricky, but should be able to see off Saudi Arabia given the quality that Gerardo Martino has available to boast.
For fans in New Jersey and elsewhere across North America, there is no denying that the 2026 FIFA World Cup can come soon enough for them, with it having been over 30 years (by the time it is held) since it was last played on the continent. The 1994 edition was a memorable competition for many, and fans will be hoping this one can be just as iconic as that one was.
Nonetheless, let's calm down a little for now, as we still have one event set to take place in a matter of months that will give us our four-yearly World Cup fix!
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