Sports
2026 FIFA World Cup final to be hosted in New York
The United States will kick off their group stage campaign at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 12 and will also play in Seattle.
The 2026 World Cup final will be held at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey, organisers FIFA announced on Sunday.
The New York bid held off a strong challenge from Dallas to secure the July 19 game, the culmination of the expanded 48-team tournament being co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.
The competition will kick-off with the opening game at Mexico City’s iconic Azteca Stadium on June 11.
Atlanta and Dallas will host the semi-finals while the third-place game will take place in Miami.
The decisions were announced on a live television broadcast in North America which featured FIFA president Gianni Infantino alongside comedian and actor Kevin Hart, rapper Drake and celebrity Kim Kardashian.
The 82,500-seat MetLife Stadium, across the Hudson river in East Rutherford, New Jersey, is the home of the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets but has held a number of international football games including the final of the 2016 Copa America tournament.
The New York bid had lobbied hard on the city’s experience at hosting major international events and it’s position as a global city with easy transportation connections for fans.
Dallas had hoped that AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, Texas, home to the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, would benefit from having a roof to protect the game from the elements.
Los Angeles had also thrown their hat into the ring but their attempt struggled amid disagreements with FIFA about tournament upgrades needed to their NFL venue, SoFi Stadium.
The Azteca will become the first stadium to host World Cup tournament games in three separate editions after 1970 and 1986.
The venue hosted the finals of the 1970 and 1986 tournaments.
The United States will kick off their group stage campaign at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on June 12 and will also play in Seattle.
Toronto was selected to host the first game for the Canadian team. Vancouver is the other Canadian venue which will host the team.
Fayose’s Thank You Message To Obasanjo: Uncouth, Unthinking And UnAfrican -By Isaac Asabor
Obasanjo, for his part, responded with a pointed but dignified jab, thanking Fayose for revealing his true nature and promptly...
Why Nigeria Must Act Now or Face the Consequences: The Wake-Up Call of the U.S. Religious Freedom Accountability Bill 2025 -By James Ezema
And to the Nigerian people—Christians, Muslims, and traditionalists alike—this moment demands unity, not division. Petition your lawmakers, demand justice, and...
Africa’s Mining Industry: New Opportunities for Cooperation with Russia and China -By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
The Chinese delegation played a significant role in the event. Participants included Sun Yongjun, First Secretary of the Embassy of...
The Yerima Effect: How A Naval Officer’s Stillness Destroyed Wike’s Political Weapons, Collapsed His Judicial Shield, And Taught A Young Democracy To Stop Fearing Strong Men -By Prof. John Egbeazien Oshodi
The Ministry of Defence publicly defended the officer, not Wike. They stated clearly that Yerima acted within lawful authority. That...
Aso Rock and Kitoye Ajasa’s Lickspittle Press -By Festus Adedayo
To demonstrate their opprobrium for Ajasa’s leaflet, the Nigerian Pioneer newspaper, the people scoffed at it on the newsstand. To Ajasa’s contemporaries, his...