It’s only been mere months since France’s victory in Luzhniki stadium, and football fever hasn’t died down. Fans are at the ready for the winter installment of the World Cup 2022 in Qatar. But following that, the United States will be hosting the World Cup 2026. The winning joint bid does not include the United States on its own but encompasses North America as a whole. The United bid for the World Cup 2026 involves Canada, Mexico, and the United States. With the U.S. at the forefront, FIFA is surveying the options of stadiums in all three countries.
Also, read:
- Qatar Constructs ‘Mobile’ Stadium for FIFA World Cup 2022
- Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 Stadium | Foster and Partners
The matches in both Canada and Mexico will take place at three sites each, but the U.S. is bearing most of the hosting process since it is set to host in ten sites. In total, there will be 80 games, 20 of which will be equally divided between Canada and Mexico, while the remaining 60 will all be hosted by the U.S. Starting from the quarterfinals; the games are only going to be held in the U.S. By submitting a list of 17 stadiums, the U.S hopes to get ahead of the selection process and get approvals. Canada and Mexico have submitted their 3 choices each. These choices will likely receive approvals. However, the U.S. will need to narrow down its choices to 10.
Here’s our ranking of the World Cup 2026 venues selected by each of the three countries:
Canada Rankings:
BMO Field, Toronto
Capacity: 30,000 (expandable to 45,000)
BMO field is dead last in our ranking just because its capacity is the lowest of the bunch. It is true that the football field has undergone some serious expansions with more seatings added to its East Grand Stand, but is that enough to make into a full-fledged stadium? We are doubtful.
via usatoday.com
Olympic Stadium, Montreal
Capacity: 61,004 (expandable to 73,000)
This stadium’s archaic design makes it a questionable choice for Canada, especially since it was supposed to have a retractable roof back in the 70’s when it opened. Unfortunately, the roof could never be opened and when the retractable roof was finally constructed, the wire snapped. Now the Olympic stadium which is facing several damages and will have to have to get its roof fixed and fully-functioning before the World Cup 2026.
via: sinoramabus.com
Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton
Capacity: 56,302 (expandable to 63,000)
This is probably the best of Canada’s three proposed venues since it is no stranger to hosting world cups, having hosted the 2015 Fifa Women’s World Cup in addition to a number of miscellaneous sporting events. That being said, the field will need to be renovated since the field is also being used for American Football which can definitely cause some wear and tear to the grass.
Via WinterE229
Mexico Rankings:
Estadio Akron, Guadalajara
Capacity: 46, 232
This stadium hasn’t had the best of luck since its opening in 2010. For one thing, the stadium took too long to build and was supposed to open in 2004, but because of financial constraints, it opened six years later. To top that off, the stadium barely holds 50, 000 people and has the smallest capacity of all the other stadiums on this list. Visually, having the stadium on a hill is an interesting choice, but many are criticizing the interior of the stadium as being lackluster.
via stadiumdb.com
Estadio BBVA Bancomer, Monterrey
Capacity: 53,500
It’s no wonder this stadium holds the nickname ‘The Steel Giant’. Global architectural firm Populous led the design of Estadio BBVA. What makes this stadium great is the fact that the distance between the field and the seats fulfill the minimum requirements by FIFA. This means that the seats are really close to where all the action is happening. Additionally, the stadium makes use of its green areas by collecting rainwater to charge aquifers.
Via EFE/Miguel Sierra
Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Capacity: 87,523
Only a few can forget Maradona’s ‘La Mano de Dios’ or ‘Hand of God’ shot in the 1986 World Cup, and Azteca stadium was witness to that momentous occasion. Naturally, it would be hard to overlook this choice because it holds so much history for football fans. And since it has already hosted two world cup finals, it is expected to be a strong contender for hosting the 2026 World Cup final as well.
Via Jymlii Manzo
The U.S. Rankings:
We expect these 10 cities to be in the front running.
Levi’s Stadium, San Francisco
(Capacity: 68,500 expandable to 75,000)
Levi’s Stadium has had several issues with its field, but it would be remiss to exclude the San Francisco community. The bay city is great from a touristic standpoint, and despite its grassy troubles, the stadium has hosted a multitude of events.
via fortune.com
Fed-ex Field, Washington D.C.
(Capacity: 82,000)
This stadium isn’t a fan-favorite, but the nice large field and the fact that it is positioned in the nation’s capital make it one of the U.S. top ten choices. There are some rumors that a special stadium will be built to replace Fed-ex Field, but that seems highly unlikely.
via cbssports.com
NRG Stadium, Houston
(Capacity: 71,795 expandable to 72,220)
NRG stadium is likely in the running since it hosted the Superbowl in 2004. Another reason that makes Houston a solid contender is the fact that the stadium has a retractable roof. This will be useful as the World Cup 2026 will be held in the summer.
Via LoneStarMike
Hardrock Stadium, Miami
(Capacity: 64,767 expandable to 67,518)
With two world series and a total of five Superbowls under its belt, the Hardrock stadium won’t be a tough choice for FIFA; especially since Miami is home to a variety of ethnicities making it an inclusive cultural hub.
via stadiumsofprofootball.com
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
(Capacity: 71,000)
The appeal of this stadium lies in the fact that it has an air-conditioned interior. The city is gaining popularity as a soccer city, and its strategic position downtown makes it a choice that is hard to ignore. The stadium will need to add temporary grass to accommodate the soccer matches since the field is fitted out for American football at the moment.
via curbedatlanta.com
CenturyLink Field, Seattle
(Capacity: 69,000 expandable to 72,000)
The Emerald city might seem like an odd choice amongst the others, but Seattle is actually the United States’ main soccer destination. The city as a whole takes soccer very seriously with even local establishments making events out of soccer matches. FIFA is likely to pick CenturyLink Field because its particular design allows it to amplify sound. Also, louder crowds can make for interesting viewing on T.V.
via twitter.com
Gilette Stadium, Boston
(Capacity: 65,878 expandable to 70,000)
Though Boston hasn’t been the most welcoming to international players, the city still holds global significance. There is also the fact that it hosted World Cup games in 1994, which makes it a staple on the list. But what really solidifies this choice is the fact that Robert Kraft, owner of the stadium, is acting as honorary chairman for the North American bid for the World Cup 2026. Kraft will likely want to see his own stadium on the list of choices.
Via Flikr user Art01852
AT&T Stadium, Dallas
(Capacity: 80,000)
A retractable roof, a massive video screen, along with a host of other facilities make the AT&T stadium the obvious choice. Coupled with the fact that Dallas has the ability to host international audiences and is a bustling metropolis in itself, make this city a strong contender. Dallas’ position in the south also makes it close to audiences in Mexico who can make their way to the U.S. matches with ease.
Via Flickr/Nicole Cordeiro
Metlife Stadium, New York
(Capacity: 82,500 expandable to 87,157)
Although Metlife stadium is positioned outside New York City, it is still an all too important choice for international audiences. It’s probably not expected to hold the final of the World Cup 2026 but will likely host semifinals since its predecessor (built on the same land)—Giant’s Stadium, hosted the semifinals in 1994.
Via Anthony Quintano
The Rose Bowl, Los Angeles
(Capacity: 92,000)
The Rose Bowl was the site of the World Cup final in 1994. This choice is a no-brainer along with the fact that the Rose Bowl has the largest capacity out of all the choices. There is some speculation of a new stadium in Inglewood taking the spotlight from this fan favorite, but this will have to happen before 2026.
Via Stephen Kallin
The post The Ranking of the Top Stadiums Hosting the World Cup 2026 appeared first on Arch2O.com.
https://www.arch2o.com/ranking-stadiums-world-cup-2026/ September 29, 2018 at 02:30PM https://www.arch2o.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Arch2O-WorldCup2026-Stadiums-6-700x466.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment