The San Francisco Bay Area has been included as an official Candidate Host City in the United Bid of Canada, Mexico, and the United States to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup™. The United Bid announced its list of 23 Candidate Host Cities that will be included in the Bid Book earlier today. 

The San Francisco Bay Area is part of the most comprehensive and far-reaching hosting strategy ever developed for a mega-sporting event. The Bay Area is thrilled at the possibility of welcoming the world to a united and inclusive celebration of football in Levi’s Stadium, offering an advanced and existing stage on which the world’s best players will compete.

The full list of Candidate Host Cities can be found below. If the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ is awarded to the United Bid, FIFA will select up to 16 Host Cities from the proposed slate of 23.

“Canada, Mexico, and the United States have joined together to deliver a United Bid that offers FIFA and its member associations the power of unity, the promise of certainty, and the potential of extraordinary opportunity,” said John Kristick, Executive Director of the United Bid. “We are confident that the combination of our 23 existing world-class stadiums, 150 existing elite training facilities, and our modern and interconnected transportation network can help FIFA to achieve new records for attendance and revenue which will allow the entire global football community to improve and grow.”

“On behalf of our many partners throughout the region, the San Francisco Bay Area is proud to be included among this dynamic group of North American cities that make up the United Bid Committee’s formal submission to FIFA,” said Patricia Ernstrom, San Francisco Bay Area Host Committee Executive Director. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the United Bid team and fellow host city candidates as we work to bring the FIFA World Cup back to the Bay Area.”

Canada, Mexico, and the United States require no new stadium construction to stage the 2026 FIFA World Cup™. The San Francisco Bay Area, along with the United Bid, will instead be able to work with FIFA to ensure the players, officials, and fans have an extraordinary experience at the largest FIFA World Cup™ ever staged. 

Across every metric, the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ in North America has the potential to deliver something extraordinary for the San Francisco Bay Area, North American, FIFA, and for football.

The United Bid’s final Candidate Host Cities are:

Canada:

• Edmonton
• Montréal
• Toronto

Mexico:

• Guadalajara
• Mexico City
• Monterrey

United States:

• Atlanta
• Baltimore
• Boston
• Cincinnati
• Dallas
• Denver
• Houston
• Kansas City
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• Nashville
• New York/New Jersey
• Orlando
• Philadelphia
• San Francisco Bay Area
• Seattle
• Washington DC

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