Baltimore got here up brief.
FIFA, the governing physique of soccer, chosen Thursday the 16 host cities for the 2026 World Cup, and Baltimore was not amongst them.
In April, Baltimore and Washington mixed bids, which every metropolis felt may improve its possibilities of being chosen. Washington initially bid to host matches of its personal, however the mixed effort sought to unite Washington’s standing because the nation’s capital with the extra enticing venue of M&T Financial institution Stadium, fairly than FedEx Subject in Landover, house of the NFL’s Washington Commanders.
FedEx Subject has not too long ago had points — together with a burst pipe and a damaged railing throughout NFL video games final season — whereas M&T Financial institution Stadium will obtain a “Facility of Benefit” award this yr from the Nationwide Heart for Spectator Sports activities Security and Safety.
Beneath the mixed bid, video games would’ve taken place in Baltimore whereas Washington would host a fan pageant on the Nationwide Mall, coinciding with the nation’s 250th birthday.
The 2026 World Cup might be distinctive in two methods: for the primary time, the match could have 48 groups (as a substitute of 32) and it will likely be hosted by three nations. Between the US, Canada and Mexico, 16 cities had been picked to host video games, with the U.S. receiving the vast majority of websites.
FIFA officers visited Baltimore in September, attending the Ravens vs. Kansas Metropolis Chiefs sport together with 70,000 followers. Terry Hasseltine, the manager director of the Maryland Sports activities Fee, which oversaw Baltimore’s marketing campaign, mentioned that FIFA discovered Baltimore’s bid to be “genuine.”
“They principally mentioned, ‘Job effectively performed, Baltimore. You’ve given us so much to consider,’” Hasseltine mentioned final week of FIFA’s response.
Nevertheless, FIFA finally selected different websites over Attraction Metropolis. The U.S. has hosted the boys’s World Cup as soon as earlier than (1994) and the ladies’s World Cup twice (1999, 2003); 2026 will mark the primary time that video games usually are not performed in Washington.
Worldwide soccer will come to Baltimore this summer time, although. English Premier League sides Arsenal and Everton will play at M&T Financial institution Stadium on July 16.
This story might be up to date.
2026 FIFA World Cup host cities
West
Vancouver
Seattle
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Guadalajara
Central
Kansas Metropolis
Atlanta
Dallas
Houston
Monterrey
Mexico Metropolis
East
Toronto
Boston
Philadelphia
Miami
New York/New Jersey
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