The World Cup will be returning to Foxborough.
FIFA announced on Thursday that Gillette Stadium has been selected as one of 16 host venues for the 2026 World Cup. It will be joined by 10 other American cities, as well as three Mexican cities and two Canadian cities.
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There were 17 American finalists vying for selection going into Thursday, whittled down from an initial list of 49.
The last time the World Cup was held in the U.S. in 1994, Foxboro Stadium hosted six sellout matches, including a pair of thrilling knockout-round victories for Italy. It was also the site of the final international game for the legendary Diego Maradona, who tested positive for ephedrine after Argentina’s game against Nigeria and was banned for the remainder of the tournament.
Foxborough’s World Cup history likely helped it this time around, as did a number of other factors. Robert Kraft was honorary chairman of the board for the United Bid Committee, and he is also a founding owner in Major League Soccer with the Revolution.
Gillette is also currently undergoing renovations that helped the case, and Kraft has committed to widening the field and installing natural grass for the tournament. Boston (and other East Coast cities) is also a relatively easy flight for European fans who will be traveling to the U.S. for the tournament.
The other 10 American cities selected as hosts are Seattle, San Francisco/Bay Area, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia and New York/New Jersey.
In addition, Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara will host games in Mexico, and Toronto and Vancouver will host games in Canada.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first to be hosted by three countries. It will also be the first to feature a 48-team field, expanded from the current 32. There will be 16 groups of three in the group stage, with the top two teams in each group advancing to a 32-team knockout round, which will mean one extra knockout round than the current format.
Gillette will likely host five or six games total, including probably at least two knockout games. It is expected that 2026 will break the World Cup attendance record, which was set by the 1994 tournament in the U.S.
Thursday’s announcement marks the second major one in as many days for Gillette Stadium, as it was announced on Wednesday that Foxborough will host the 2023 Army-Navy Game, marking the first time in the rivalry’s 130-year history that it has come to New England.
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