The FIFA World Cup 2026, the first-ever edition of the competition to feature 48 teams, continues to take shape as FIFA is due to start a targeted information-exchange phase with the 23 FIFA World Cup 2026 candidate host cities in September.

This follows on from the virtual workshops and individual meetings organised with each of the candidate host cities and has the aim of gathering further information on the individual cities’ proposals, including any recent updates shared during the latest exchanges. Each candidate host city will also be asked to conduct a local stakeholder engagement process with regard to human rights as part of the wider venue selection.

“We are very pleased with the constructive individual meetings we had with all candidate host cities. Given the high quality of the different proposals, we look forward to a very competitive selection process over the next months. Becoming a FIFA World Cup host city represents a fantastic opportunity, as in addition to a large number of tangible and intangible benefits for the local community, we are talking about cities that will be delivering the first 48-team FIFA World Cup, a real milestone in the history of the FIFA World Cup,” said FIFA Chief Tournaments and Events Officer Colin Smith.

“To ensure the successful delivery of the FIFA World Cup 2026, it’s absolutely essential that all candidate host cities focus on a holistic hosting concept, including the overall infrastructure, commercial potential, sustainability, human rights and fan experience. While all cities are unique, they have a common goal: to host the best-ever edition of the FIFA World Cup.”

The next steps in the venue selection process foresee visits to all cities by a FIFA delegation. In keeping with FIFA’s policy of following the recommendations of the health authorities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the trips will take place whenever it is safe to do so, enabling FIFA and the host associations to submit a proposal to the FIFA Council, which is looking to appoint the FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities in 2021.

FIFA