Some of the biggest U.S. sporting towns decided not to host any World Cup games, fearing a ‘major financial burden to our cities’

While nearly a dozen U.S. cities put the finishing touches on preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup ahead of next week’s kickoff, some of the country’s most sport-frenzied communities are settling in to watch from home. Based on the economics of major sporting events, it might prove a savvy decision in retrospect. The soccer fever due to grip the U.S. until July 19 will be most vivid in the country’s 11 host cities, where 78 games will be played in stadiums servicing sports meccas such as Boston, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Atlanta. That’s most of the 104 games total for the tournament shared between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Notably absent from that list, however, are the cities home to some of America’s most passionate sports fanbases—a few of which have even hosted World Cup games before. Phoenix, which holds the world’s largest concentration of sports venues in a single metropolitan area, will see no gametime. It’s the same for fans in Detroit, where four major league teams all play within walking distance of each other in the city’s downtown. Chicago won’t host any games either, despite being the third-largest U.S. city, and having thrown the opening ceremony and game the last time the World Cup came to the country, in 1994. The 2026 World Cup’s host cities were announced in 2022 after a competitive bidding process. But many cities that declined to be considered for participation at the marquee event made their reservations clear years earlier, often citing financial reasons and cumbersome requirements set by FIFA, the tournament’s governing body. For many of America’s most sports-crazed cities missing out on this year’s World Cup, the appeal of hosting mega-events just wasn’t enough to justify the costs. “FIFA was not able to provide specific details on major unknowns that could result in a major financial burden to our cities,” Tom Sadler, president of the Arizona Sports & Tourism Association, said in a 2018 statement explaining a dropped host city