Atlanta

Secretly one of the coolest cities in America, Atlanta has a huge music and arts scene, great BBQ and food-trucks, and a sport-mad public.

Home to the Falcons in the NFL, the Braves in baseball and the Hawks in the NHL, MLS outfit Atlanta United are the newest arrival have captured the public’s imagination and support since joining the league in 2017.

Both the Falcons and united share the Mercedes Benz Stadium which will host eight World Cup matches, including five group stage games, a round of 32 match, a round of 16 match and a semi-final.

The stadium has an eye-catching aperture style roof that can be opened and closed in less than 10 minutes – particularly crucial in the hot and humid Georgia summer.

Boston

If Ireland do qualify for the World Cup, players and supporters alike will be hoping to get at least one game in Boston.

With a strong Irish identity that’s visible across all aspects of life in the city, Boston would be the ideal base for fans of the Boys in Green next summer – even if their side doesn’t make it.

Group C and Group I will both play two games in Boston, which will host seven matches in total and has both New york/new Jersey and Philadelphia within reasonable driving distance – reasonable by American standards at least.

Home of both the NFL’s New England Patriot and MLS outfit New England Revolution, Gilette Stadium saw a $225 million renovation project completed in 2023 and while it may not be as glittering as some of the other stadiums, it’s a wide-open roofless arena perfect for summer sport.

Dallas

All the cliches about everything being bigger in Texas persist, and the stunning AT&T Stadium, which will be known as the Dallas Stadium during the World Cup, lives up to that promise.

Home to the Dallas cowboys, the stadium is built for spectacle and will host the most games of any venue at the tournament. Dallas will see nine matches in total, including four knockout games, one of which will be a semi-final.

Dallas, for those of a certain age, will always conjure up images of big oil, big Cadillacs and big 80s shoulder pads, but today it’s a thriving modern city with some of the largest and most prestigious art museums in the US. And if that’s a bit too high brow,ther’s at least a couple of hundred JFK assassination tours daily.

Houston

The cooler and edgier younger brother of Dallas, Houston is the largest city in Texas and unusually for American cities, has excellent public transport links.

the MetroRail links downtown, the Museum District and NRG Stadium when five group games and two knockout stage match will be played.Unlike Dallas, where a car is pretty much essential you can get away without renting one here.

Home to the Houston Texan NFL team and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo – the biggest rodeo and livestock exhibition in the world since you’re asking – NRG Park was the first NFL stadium with a retractable roof and will hold just over 72,000 fans for each World Cup game.

Kansas City

Home of Mr Taylor Swift’s Kansas City Chiefs, Arrowhead stadium will play host to six World Cup games, including a quarter-final.

A small but lively city with great night-life and some of the best BBQ food in the world, it’s a great spot for anyone looking for a bit of excitement after the football.

The Power & Light District is where the action will take place and is home to the kansas City Live! entertainment area which is spread over a full city block and will be open during the World Cup as it is for every major

World Cup 2026 Host Cities: A Traveler’s Guide

San Francisco

Celebrating its 250th birthday this year, San Francisco will host six World Cup matches at levi’s stadium, along with the Super Bowl.

Onc the home of the 1960s counterculture movement and a mecca for hippies and beatniks, San Francisco is now often considered the “tech bro” capital of the world. Conversations about start-ups and crypto are more common than discussions of peace, love, and harmony.

Despite the shift, the city offers plenty to see and do. the Bay Area is home to the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the trendy Fisherman’s Wharf, while the Mission District boasts some of the best Mexican food north of the border.

However, be aware of the ongoing issues with human and animal waste on the streets.

Seattle

For many, Seattle evokes images of flannel shirts, grunge music, Kurt Cobain, and Starbucks. The birthplace of grunge and the world’s most ubiquitous coffee chain,seattle was a cultural center in the 1990s.

Today, Seattle remains a vibrant, thriving, and walkable city with a lively arts scene and excellent restaurants. It’s also a major sports city, with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and MLS team the Sounders playing at lumen Field.

Lumen Field hosted the FIFA Club World Cup as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup, drawing crowds of over 50,000 for both of the Sounders group games despite initial concerns about ticket sales.The open-air venue is easily accessible via light-rail and will host three group and three knock-out games.

Guadalajara

Widely regarded as the cultural heart of Mexico, Guadalajara is known as the home of mariachi bands and tequila.

With warm weather and a thriving creative and artistic scene, Guadalajara is a popular tourist destination that still feels authentically Mexican.

The 48,000-capacity Estadio Akron, home to Chivas of Liga MX, will host Mexico’s second group game, expected to be an early highlight of the tournament. The visually stunning stadium is built on raised ground and surrounded by sloping walls of grass.