The 2026 World Cup final is set to be held at the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, with FIFA picking the venue ahead of the MetLife Stadium in New York.

According to The Sun, FIFA will confirm the choice later this week and soccer’s governing body is also set to base itself in Texas for the tournament in 2026. 

The tournament is going to be expanded from 32 teams to 48 for the first time, with a total of 104 games to be played across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The report says that a 72-game group stage could be wrapped up in 15 days with the top two teams from each four-team group, as well as eight best third-place teams, advancing to the knockout stages. 

And all roads will lead to Texas and the stunning home of the Cowboys, who play the other football there. 

The AT&T Stadium in Texas is set to hos the 2026 World Cup final ahead of the MetLife Stadium

The AT&T Stadium in Texas is set to hos the 2026 World Cup final ahead of the MetLife Stadium

The AT&T Stadium in Texas is set to hos the 2026 World Cup final ahead of the MetLife Stadium

The stadium has 80,000 seats but can expand to around 100,000 for major events

The stadium has 80,000 seats but can expand to around 100,000 for major events

The stadium has 80,000 seats but can expand to around 100,000 for major events 

It has a regular seating capacity of 80,000 but is expandable to around 100,000 – something which will surely be utilized for the World Cup final. 

There were more than 93,000 fans there on Sunday for the NFL playoff game against the Green Bay Packers, which the Cowboys surprisingly lost.

It cost around $1.3billion to build and the venue is in Arlington, 25 minutes from the center of Dallas. 

It was opened in 2009 and has a retractable roof as well as artificial turf rather than grass – it remains to be seen if that will be in place for the tournament itself in a little over two years time.

It has held other big sporting events in the past as well – Billy Joe Saunders fought Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez there in 2021 and basketball is staged there too. Taylor Swift also played three sold-out dates on her Eras Tour there in 2023.

The MetLife Stadium – home of New York’s two NFL teams, the Jets and Giants – is actually based in Jersey but with the Manhattan skyline as a backdrop, the venue had been tipped by many to land the final.

The MetLife’s regular capacity is narrowly larger than the AT&T at 82,500 but has no room to expand further. 

The first game of the tournament is expected to be held at Mexico’s iconic Azteca Stadium – where Diego Maradona scored his legendary ‘Hand of God’ goal for Argentina against England in the 1986 competition.

The stadium was opened in Dallas in 2009 at a cost of around $1.3billion to build

The stadium was opened in Dallas in 2009 at a cost of around $1.3billion to build

The stadium was opened in Dallas in 2009 at a cost of around $1.3billion to build 

It has a retractable roof and the turf - for now at least - is artificial rather than grass

It has a retractable roof and the turf - for now at least - is artificial rather than grass

It has a retractable roof and the turf – for now at least – is artificial rather than grass

The massive venue is used to host an array of sport in Texas, including basketball

The massive venue is used to host an array of sport in Texas, including basketball

The massive venue is used to host an array of sport in Texas, including basketball 

While there is nothing in FIFA rules that mean it is guaranteed, Argentina kicking off the tournament there as defending champion would be a symbolic way for the competition to start.

It is unlikely that Lionel Messi will be playing for Argentina by the time the tournament comes around, though. The Inter Miami star will be 39 on June 24 – likely while early-to-midway stage of the competition.

The United States hosts the Copa America later this year, with the US team kicking off their tournament at AT&T against Bolivia.

The final of that competition will be staged at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. 

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