Ranking the 2026 World Cup Stadiums: Where do MetLife, Arrowhead and SoFi land?
The 2026 World Cup is hosted by three countries for the first time in the history of the tournament. There will be a record 104 matches played across 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
This is the second time the U.S. has hosted the tournament. It did so back in 1994 when Brazil defeated Italy at the Rose Bowl to win its fourth World Cup.
The esteemed venue in Pasadena, California, will not host any matches for the 2026 World Cup. FIFA instead decided to award the newer SoFi Stadium with hosting honors. This is where the United States will start its journey on Friday, July 12 to open Group D play against Paraguay.
The 16 World Cup stadiums represent a variety of history, technology and fanfare.
Here’s USA TODAY Sports’ ranking of the 2026 World Cup stadiums:
MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey (hosting World Cup final)
MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey (hosting World Cup final)
Estadio Akron –Guadalajara, Mexico
SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, California
Hard Rock Stadium – Miami Gardens, Florida
Levi’s Stadium – Santa Clara, California
Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia
Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, Massachusetts
It had to be said: MetLife Stadium is the worst of the 2026 World Cup stadiums. It’s in a random suburb of New York City in New Jersey, so it is hard to get to and has a serious identity problem. It’s architecturally clunky. It doesn’t have a roof. But this is where the final will be held!
Levi’s Stadium, home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, is nothing spectacular. It replaced Candlestick Park in 2014 and has none of the charm. It’s located 43 miles away from San Francisco and is practically in the middle of a residential neighborhood, which, again, makes it hard to get to and also difficult to create much fanfare.
Similar to Levi’s Stadium, Gillette is 22 miles from Boston and doesn’t have much around it to get excited about. It’s an older stadium that opened in 2002, but the fact it hosts the New England Revolution boosts it up the list a bit for its soccer-readiness. It’s also home to six-time Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. That’s worth something…
Arrowhead Stadium is known for being the loudest stadium in the NFL. It broke the record for the most noise in 2014, registering 142.2 decibels. There’s no roof and it’s in a Midwest city that isn’t anything bad, just nothing to drop thousands of dollars to go see.
BMO Field is a smaller venue that has been criticized for being confusing to get around and average video boards that are hard to see from certain parts of the stadium. But it’s close to the water and is scenic.
Estadio Akron is a fairly modern venue. It’s clean and has nice amenities. It doesn’t have as much history and atmosphere as the other Mexico stadiums and, since it’s located just outside the city, it’s a pain to get to. It did host Canelo’s homecoming fight in 2023, so bonus points for that.
The Linc has one of the most intense environments on NFL Sundays, but that’s mostly due to the fact that Philadelphia Eagles fans are so passionate. It’s not necessarily that the stadium is anything special. But it does have a nice location.
One of the most popular venues in Canada is BC Place, home of the Vancouver Whitecaps. It’s known for being spacious and convenient. Plus, at night the stadium lights up in cool colors. That’s a nice touch.
Hard Rock Stadium is a pretty clean, recently renovated venue. It houses several teams and events, including the Miami Dolphins, Miami Hurricanes football team and the Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix, so hosting a World Cup soccer match should go off without a hitch. Even though fans are shaded for the most part, knock some points off for not having a roof, making players suffer through the Miami heat and humidity. This one is also not exactly in the heart of South Beach, but about an hour north in a residential area that’s not super glamorous. And it’s just not the Orange Bowl.
NRG Stadium is a pretty solid venue. It was built in 2002, which makes it an older stadium on the list, but was ahead of its time with a retractable roof and a spacious layout. Parking is a nightmare, but that’s really the only major word of caution.
“Jerry World” is a must-see attraction. It’s simply massive and has state-of-the-art video boards and, yes, a retractable roof. FIFA said it will use curtains on the stadium’s notorious window so that will create a more fair environment on the pitch even if the location of the venue is far from the city and concessions are especially pricey. FIFA is controlling concession prices for the World Cup, but still…
Lumen Field is conveniently located in downtown Seattle and is close to the water. The stadium holds the sound in well and has helped the Seattle Seahawks fans, known as The 12th Man, create one of the most-feared atmospheres in the NFL. It is also home to the Seattle Sounders, so is familiar with how to operate a soccer match. Similar to Hard Rock, the stands are shaded, but the open-air layout leaves the pitch open to the elements.
You might have seen photographs floating around social media of a soccer stadium with views of the mountains. That’s Estadio BBVA just outside of Monterrey. Stunning, right? It’s a stadium that’s known for being modern and comfortable and, well, beautiful.
In just six years, SoFi Stadium has become one of the crown jewels of United States sports venues. It’s not known for keeping sound very well and isn’t a great place for concerts. But it is an exhibit of the latest technology and has beautiful architecture. The roof design allows for a good breeze and it’s in a great part of Los Angeles with lots of cultural history.
Talk about legacy. Estadio Azteca might be one of the cathedrals of the beautiful game. This hallowed stadium has already hosted two World Cup finals matches: in 1970 and 1986. It was a bit run down for a while, but recently underwent massive renovations just in time for its return to the big stage.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium is a fairly newer venue, opening in 2017, and it feels like it with a super cool retractable roof and state-of-the-art video board. The location is actually in the city, which is refreshing. The home of the Atlanta Falcons also houses the Atlanta United, who have several lauded gameday traditions and a passionate fanbase. This stadium is an expert at successfully operating a soccer match and making it a good time.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking all 16 stadiums for the 2026 World Cup
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