FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland, withdrew its bid to host 2026 World Cup games on Thursday, and the Washington area merged its campaign with Baltimore’s M&T Bank Stadium.
The joint offer will feature a fan festival on the National Mall in the District of Columbia, the US capital’s national monuments park.
FedEx Field, which opened in 1997, was one of the venues that was part of the initial 2017 proposal. It hosted games in the 1999 Women’s World Cup. RFK Stadium in DC hosted World Cup games. Man’s World in 1994 and is scheduled to be demolished.
Seventeen states in the United States in 16 areas of the country are still fighting for a venue for the World Cup, including the Los Angeles area that submitted proposals for both the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood and the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the stadium where the final of the 1994 World Cup.
Three cities in Canada and another three in Mexico aspire to host matches. FIFA believes that the selected venues will be announced by mid-May.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first with 48 teams and the first with three co-hosts. FIFA selected the bid as the joint venue in June 2018.
Sixty games will be played in the United States, including all from the quarterfinals onward. Canada and Mexico will host 10 matches each.
Below is the list of remaining areas and stadiums:
UNITED STATES
Arlington, Texas, Estadio AT&T; Atlanta, Estadio Mercedes-Benz; Baltimore, Estadio M&T Bank; Cincinnati, Estadio Paul Brown; Denver, Empower Field en Mile High; East Rutherford, Nueva Jersey, Estadio MetLife; Foxborough, Massachusetts, Estadio Gillette; Houston, Estadio NRG; Inglewood, California, Estadio SoFi; Kansas City, Missouri, Estadio Arrowhead; Miami Gardens, Florida, Estadio Hard Rock; Nashville, Tennessee, Estadio Nissan; Orlando, Florida, Estadio Camping World; Pasadena, California, Rose Bowl; Filadelfia, Lincoln Financial Field; Santa Clara, California, Estadio Levi’s; Seattle, Lumen Field.
CANADA
Edmonton, Estadio Commonwealth; Toronto, BMO Field; Vancouver, B.C. Place.
MEXICO
Guadalajara, Akron Stadium; Mexico City, Azteca Stadium; Monterrey, BBVA Stadium.
