FIFA WC USA-Mexico-Canada 2026

[Faster]

On 5/1/2022 at 12:32 PM, baron-pierreIV said:

But with, what? - 5 games each in T and V, the Canadian matches would then have to start earlier since the turf will be roughed up more times than the US and Mexican venues -- giving the field more time to recuperate?  

American venues are going to average 5 matches each. 60/11. 5 of the 11 will have 6 matches.

[baron-pierreIV]

12 minutes ago, Faster said:

American venues are going to average 5 matches each. 60/11. 5 of the 11 will have 6 matches.

I think some will have more -- because the large ones (Rose Bowl, So Fi (if they use it) and MetLife in NJ) are being reserved for the semis and the finals -- unless they always place Team USA there in the bigger stadia -- if I understood the early prelim placements.  I guess they can use/ "repair" the turf fast enough, every other day? 

[Quaker2001]

In 2018, the stadiums in Moscow and St. Peterburg each hosted 7 matches.  This is not going to be an issue

[baron-pierreIV]

2 hours ago, Quaker2001 said:

In 2018, the stadiums in Moscow and St. Peterburg each hosted 7 matches.  This is not going to be an issue

But those are Russian stadia.  The grass was ordered by the Kremlin to deliver for SEVEN matches . . . or else.   2026 will be OUTSIDE Muddah Rossiya!! 

Edited May 4, 2022 by baron-pierreIV

[SportLightning]

I still think Canada will have three cities along with Mexico. USA will have 10 cities for this FIFA World Cup.

[baron-pierreIV]

Maybe.  We shall see.  

[Bear]

Happy announcement day to those who celebrate

The announcement live stream is here: https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/live/event/2AW2CiSKzCAFEDQLnfFm51jm4u3

It is scheduled to start in like ~5 minutes (5:15 PM EDT / 2:15 PM PDT) but the New York Times is saying the host city announcement wont be until later into the event.

[Bear]

The Host Cities, grouped by region and in the order they were announced

WEST

Vancouver [BC Place] / Seattle [Lumen] / San Francisco [Levi's] / Los Angeles [SoFi] / Guadalajara [Akron]

CENTRAL

Kansas City [Arrowhead] / Dallas [AT&T] / Atlanta [Mercedes-Benz] / Houston [NRG] / Monterey [BBVA] / Mexico City [Azteca]

EASTERN

Toronto [BMO] / Boston [Gillette] / Philadelphia [Lincoln Financial] / Miami [Hard Rock] / New York - New Jersey [MetLife]

[Faster]

Kansas City is the one of these things is not like the other ugly step-child. What the actual **** on that one.

[baron-pierreIV]

So that's how they're dividing the 3 groups of 16. 

Denver, Cincinnati, Nashville, Orlando and Baltimore-DC were cut out.   A big hole in the middle of the country and none around the Great Lakes, except for Toronto.  

No Rose Bowl either.  

Edited June 16, 2022 by baron-pierreIV

[Quaker2001]

44 minutes ago, Faster said:

Kansas City is the one of these things is not like the other ugly step-child. What the actual **** on that one.

Big soccer hotbed and they need some presence in the Midwest.  Far from a surprise.

40 minutes ago, baron-pierreIV said:

So that's how they're dividing the 3 groups of 16. 

Denver, Cincinnati, Nashville, Orlando and Baltimore-DC were cut out.   A big hole in the middle of the country and none around the Great Lakes, except for Toronto.  

No Rose Bowl either.  

LA was always going to be about SoFi.  Rose Bowl was never going to be an option this time around

[FYI]

41 minutes ago, baron-pierreIV said:

 big hole in the middle of the country and none around the Great Lakes, except for Toronto.  

That's because all they had to choose from the Midwest was KC & Cincinnati. All the big player Midwestern locales sat this one out this time around. I didn't think that they'd chose both, but thought Cincinnati would've gotten picked over KC due to their closer proximity to the rest of the east coast cities. 

No surprise over Nashville getting cut (to a certain someone's dismay ). And not surprised both Texas cities got picked this time, since both are big soccer cities, especially Houston, & when also you don't have some of the other big markets like we had in '94. And looks like the refurbished Hard Rock stadium won it over Orlando this time out.

[yoshi]

Did Chicago not even want it?! I still find this whole thing a bit odd, having two extra host countries adding all of 5 venues, when the US eliminated...5 venues. A World Cup hosted by 3 countries, any of whom could've done it alone! I guess SoFi is on lock for the final, indoor stadium so it can even be in European primetime without anyone being roasted. 

ETA I'm also surprised DC got dumped, with the 250th anniversary and all that. Maybe Philly handles the history well enough...or is it a sign they're going for another autumn experiment, given how hot it can get in June and July. 

Edited June 16, 2022 by yoshi

[Quaker2001]

18 minutes ago, yoshi said:

Did Chicago not even want it?! I still find this whole thing a bit odd, having two extra host countries adding all of 5 venues, when the US eliminated...5 venues. A World Cup hosted by 3 countries, any of whom could've done it alone! I guess SoFi is on lock for the final, indoor stadium so it can even be in European primetime without anyone being roasted. 

ETA I'm also surprised DC got dumped, with the 250th anniversary and all that. Maybe Philly handles the history well enough...or is it a sign they're going for another autumn experiment, given how hot it can get in June and July. 

https://www.chicagobusiness.com/sports/why-chicago-isnt-hosting-world-cup-2026

Provisional plan for the final is for it to be at MetLife, so no, SoFi is not a lock for the final.

Shouldn't be surprised that DC got dumped.  They have a bad stadium and their football team owner is pretty hated.  Rumor has it Philly will get a July 4th game, so yes, they'll get the history.  It'll be a June/July World Cup.  You can bet the farm on that

[FYI]

23 minutes ago, yoshi said:

Did Chicago not even want it?!

Nope, they certainly didn't. Just like Minneapolis & Detroit didn't want it either IIRC.

[Quaker2001]

6 minutes ago, FYI said:

Nope, they certainly didn't. Just like Minneapolis & Detroit didn't want it either IIRC.

I don't remember if Detroit or Minneapolis were on any of the original lists, but Chicago was there and then..

Chicago withdraws from 2026 World Cup bid over lack of assurances

[FYI]

8 minutes ago, Quaker2001 said:

I don't remember if Detroit or Minneapolis were on any of the original lists, but Chicago was there and then..

Chicago withdraws from 2026 World Cup bid over lack of assurances

Minneapolis didn’t want it for the same reason:

https://m.startribune.com/minneapolis-pulls-out-of-running-as-host-city-for-2026-world-cup/476974773/?clmob=y&c=n&clmob=y&c=n
 

Can’t find anything on Detroit ATM. But maybe they were just one of those “interested parties”. 

[baron-pierreIV]

So w/ 10 games each for Canada & Mex, that means those are probably just the prelims.  So the winning teams move to the quarters in the US?? So, after the first 2 weeks, they're done with Mex & Can??  

[Quaker2001]

2 minutes ago, baron-pierreIV said:

So w/ 10 games each for Canada & Mex, that means those are probably just the prelims.  So the winning teams move to the quarters in the US?? So, after the first 2 weeks, they're done with Mex & Can??  

Early provisional schedule had that Canada and Mexico would each get 2 Round of 32 matches plus 1 Round of 16 match each.  After that, everything is in the US.

[LinkParkFn]

Before y'all hate on KC being selected, how about you spare a thought for people like me. I live 3 hrs southwest of Kansas City (Wichita) and I've got not one but two World Cup sites within reasonable driving distance (Dallas being the other), so just to get a chance to be in an atmosphere like the World Cup, assuming a deadlier version of COVID does NOT beckon, would be the thrill of a lifetime.

[SportLightning]

I was shocked when Seattle was selected as one of the host cities, but i'm happy about Los Angeles selected as one of them.

[Quaker2001]

7 hours ago, SportLightning said:

I was shocked when Seattle was selected as one of the host cities, but i'm happy about Los Angeles selected as one of them.

The Sounders have one of the best fan bases in MLS. They were an obvious choice to get picked from the start

[yoshi]

Isn't Seattle basically the capital of football (soccer then) in the US? That's certainly the perception I get from the pictures of full houses there, and how the Sounders are one of the MLS teams that are widely known. Unless the powers that be decide it's not a high profile enough city, I'd have thought it'd deserve a semi final. 

[Quaker2001]

1 hour ago, yoshi said:

Isn't Seattle basically the capital of football (soccer then) in the US? That's certainly the perception I get from the pictures of full houses there, and how the Sounders are one of the MLS teams that are widely known. Unless the powers that be decide it's not a high profile enough city, I'd have thought it'd deserve a semi final. 

Wouldn't call it the capital.  Yes, they have one of the strongest groups of supporters out there.  That gets them selected as a venue.  But unlikely it would get them as much as a semifinal.  Dallas and LA seem like they'll be the more likely choices there with NY/NJ getting the final

[FYI]

10 hours ago, SportLightning said:

I was shocked when Seattle was selected as one of the host cities, but i'm happy about Los Angeles selected as one of them.

Were you just as shocked when Nashville (your constant "prediction" pick) got rejected? 

Seattle shouldn't be that much of a 'shock', considering it's a much bigger market than Nashville, & it creates another dual-cluster along with Vancouver (another larger market), in a region that didn't get represented at all the last time the World Cup was in the U.S.