FIFA president Gianni Infantino sauntered down the sideline at AT&T Stadium on Sunday, then settled into the entrance row of an expensive suite. He isn’t a lot of an American soccer fan; however , and it wasn’t troublesome to attach just a few dots.
Infantino is probably the most highly effective man on the planet’s hottest sport, and can quickly select a bunch for the 2026 World Cup remaining.
Jones has been pitching his palace as the perfect host, and officers in bidding cities imagine a choice is close to.
Infantino and FIFA executives will go to different North American host cities over the approaching weeks as properly. His presence in Arlington, Texas, on Sunday doesn’t essentially sign {that a} choice has been made, or that Dallas has crushed New York and Los Angeles to the World Cup’s crown jewel. All are awaiting FIFA’s delegation for quite a lot of causes; the location of the 2026 remaining is simply .
However it definitely didn’t damage Dallas’ case. Infantino loves hobnobbing and VVIP therapy, so it didn’t damage to have him rubbing shoulders with Jones and . And it definitely wasn’t coincidental that AT&T Stadium’s cameramen discovered Infantino early within the first quarter, and launched him to 90,000-plus followers by way of the stadium’s 160-foot-long video board.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is at Cowboys-Jets sport, his look on the video board drawing a smattering of boos. World Cup event is coming to this venue in 2026. Crew hopes to host the championship.
Infantino clapped and smiled by means of a smattering of boos, with FIFA vice chairman Victor Montagliani seated to his proper and Fox Sports activities CEO Eric Shanks to his left. (Montagliani is the president of CONCACAF, the North and Central American soccer confederation, and closely concerned in 2026 World Cup planning. Fox Sports activities has the English-language U.S. TV rights. Different Infantino associates, together with his adviser and former U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro, had been additionally in attendance.)
It was straightforward to attach dots as a result of AT&T Stadium is the favourite to host the 2026 remaining. It was the favourite even earlier than Sunday. It has been one in every of three contenders for some time now, and seemingly leapfrogged New York sooner or later over the previous few years.
However MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, can be nonetheless in play. SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, has additionally been a candidate. With a remaining choice anticipated this fall, under is a breakdown of the three bids, every of which has attract however flaws.
1. Dallas | AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas
The stadium is very large, trendy and . It wasn’t constructed for soccer, but it surely has hosted worldwide tournaments and . Like a lot of the 11 U.S. stadiums, it must minimize its capability to accommodate FIFA’s desired discipline width and different World Cup specs, however “it seems to be like we will do 90-plus thousand followers a sport,” FC Dallas president Dan Hunt, who chairs the Dallas bid, informed Yahoo Sports activities final yr.
It additionally has an adjoining leisure district, Texas Reside, and two extra adjoining stadiums that would host watch events or associated occasions. “So you possibly can have one other 100,000 folks having some type of World Cup expertise on the market in Arlington,” Hunt mentioned.
One concern is warmth — the ultimate will probably be performed in July, when Dallas temperatures frequently high 100 levels and virtually all the time high 90 — however the stadium itself, with its retractable roof, is climate-proof.
The principle disadvantage, frankly, is town’s relative lack of glamor, and the puzzled seems to be that selecting Dallas over LA and New York would elicit. On the floor, it’s not the pure alternative.
However, crucially, it’s the selection that greatest accommodates the 1 billion individuals who’ll watch across the globe. And whereas a World Cup opener is extra in regards to the vacation spot — as a result of it turns into a bodily gathering place for your entire soccer world — the ultimate is extra in regards to the spectacle that these 1 billion folks see on TV.
2. New York | MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey
New York was the preliminary favourite, for apparent causes. Manner again in 2017, the that MetLife would host the ultimate, with semifinals in Dallas and Atlanta. That authentic projection may nonetheless come true.
However it will go away FIFA prone to the nightmare state of affairs: A mid-July thunderstorm that rolls by means of North Jersey and leaves the 1 billion TV viewers sitting round, ready, questioning when a suspended World Cup remaining will resume.
It’s an unlikely state of affairs, in fact, however when there are different nice choices which might be storm-proof, and that might defend gamers from summer season warmth, why take the danger?
The counterargument is that, uh, it is New York. The nation’s largest, most multicultural metropolis is the perfect backdrop for a memorable finale. Iconic landmarks and Instances Sq. would sparkle; a watch get together in Central Park would fill.
However the sport itself is paramount. “We’ve in fact to take into consideration the climate situations, the stadiums, those that have a roof, those that are closed, the place you may possibly play earlier within the afternoon,” Infantino mentioned final yr shortly after .
And the ultimate, by the best way, will virtually definitely be within the afternoon, on a Sunday, in order that Europe — FIFA’s precedence market — can watch in primetime.
3. Los Angeles | SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California
Los Angeles, maybe much more so than New York, has apparent attraction. It has sensible climate. It has unparalleled glitz. It has arguably the world’s best stadium, which may in all probability fetch FIFA the biggest matchday revenue. It has Hollywood next-door.
However there look like two fundamental issues:
That stadium isn’t extensive sufficient for soccer. It is going to require one of the crucial vital changes to accommodate a World Cup discipline, which may even carry its capability under the 80,000 benchmark that FIFA lists as a requirement for a males’s World Cup remaining host. (Although in fact, FIFA may simply make an exception.)
LA is 9 hours forward of western Europe. So the sport would in all probability need to kick off at midday or 1 p.m. native time on the newest — which is possible however not splendid. (The 1994 World Cup remaining kicked off at 12:30 p.m. on the Rose Bowl. The seven males’s World Cup finals since have kicked off at 9, 8, 8, 8:30, 4, 6 and 6 p.m.)
The that FIFA had whittled its selections all the way down to Dallas and New York. Others imagine LA remains to be a candidate, but it surely’s extra seemingly a vacation spot for the opener — or one in every of a number of opening-day video games — than the ultimate.
The total World Cup schedule is coming
All of that and extra will probably be introduced over the approaching months. A full schedule shell, with dates and areas for , could possibly be launched earlier than the top of the calendar yr.
Among the many many unknowns is how FIFA will navigate the continent’s dimension. There was discuss of geographical “pods” or “clusters” within the group stage. Knockout-stage websites have to be thoughtful to groups and followers as properly. “Clearly you do not need a workforce that is taking part in within the semifinal need to get on a aircraft and fly 5 hours to go play a remaining,” Montagliani mentioned final yr.
The unique proposal was for the knockout rounds to maneuver west to east as they progressed. If Dallas hosts the ultimate, as a substitute, there could possibly be a western facet of the bracket (with a semifinal in LA) and an japanese facet (with a semi in New York or Atlanta), with the 2 converging on Texas to crown a champion.