DC2026, Washington, DC's official bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2026, received additional information from FIFA regarding the next stage of the venue selection process for the 17 remaining US candidate cities.
- Beginning in February 2021, FIFA and U.S. Soccer will organize virtual one-on-one meetings with each stadium to discuss match facilities.
- Beginning in April 2021, FIFA and U.S. Soccer will launch targeted virtual discussions with each candidate host city.
- Beginning in July 2021, FIFA is aiming to begin individual venue visits in candidate host cities. The visits will only take place if the health and safety situation in the host cities allows FIFA to do so.
According to this timeline, FIFA and U.S. Soccer aim to have the host cities appointed by the FIFA Council in the last quarter of 2021.
“The DC2026 team looks forward to the next stage of the selection process and welcoming FIFA and U.S. Soccer to DC," said Max Brown, Co-Chair, DC2026 Advisory Board. “Washington, DC is uniquely positioned to host this momentous event. We are a true world-class city with an unparalleled reputation for hosting iconic celebrations and events and we look forward to creating a lasting legacy in our nation's capital."
In addition to stadiums, FIFA considers a range of other factors in evaluating each city’s bid. These elements include the host city’s overall infrastructure and services (both sporting and general), and their commitment to sustainability, human rights and event legacy.
In line with FIFA’s strategic objective of making soccer truly global, the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the first-ever edition of the competition to feature 48 teams. The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the largest in history, bringing 80 total matches and projected to exceed $5 billion in economic impact.
Visit DC2026.org for news, updates and to sign up to be notified about upcoming opportunities to support the pursuit for DC2026.
