Levi's Stadium Chosen As Host Site For 2026 FIFA World Cup

SANTA CLARA, CA — Levi’s Stadium was selected as a host site for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, FIFA announced on Thursday.

The 2026 World Cup will be played at 16 cities across North America in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Reaction to the announcement was swift.

"This event is a huge win for Santa Clara and the region," Mayor Lisa Gillmor said in a statement after the announcement of the successful bid to be a host city. "We are beyond excited to bring FIFA World Cup to Levi's Stadium. Not only are we getting a world-class soccer event for the public to enjoy, but these games will be a massive economic generator for our community."

“The Bay Area and Los Angeles are home to state-of-the-art sports facilities, world class restaurants and hotels, and some of the largest companies anywhere in the world – but what really makes them special are their people. Both the Bay and Los Angeles have incredibly diverse communities that thrive on accepting people and ideas from around the world and have been growing soccer hubs for generations,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “California is a beacon of hope for immigrants from across the globe and we’re excited to show the world our global community here in our own backyard as hosts for the World Cup in four years.”

“Hosting FIFA World Cup matches in the Bay Area will not only bring global visitors to experience all our region has to offer, but it will reinvigorate the ongoing efforts of the San Jose Earthquakes to grow the world’s game in our diverse communities,” said Jared Shawlee, San Jose Earthquakes President. “We are truly excited to be able to incorporate the spirit and mission of the FIFA World Cup and create a lasting community legacy through the sport of soccer in the Bay Area.”

Levi’s Stadium, the 68,500-seat capacity home of the San Francisco 49ers, will be the first Bay Area stadium to host World Cup games since Stanford Stadium hosted the 1999 Women’s World Cup.

Stanford Stadium also hosted the World Cup in 1994.

The Bay Area joins Los Angeles, Vancouver, Seattle and Guadalajara, Mexico as the Western Region sites selected to host World Cup games this year.

The World Cup begins in November in Qatar.

Bay City News contributed to this story.