New Jersey governor: 2026 World Cup final down to Dallas or New York/New Jersey

According to Murphy, the final will be at AT&T Stadium or MetLife Stadium

FIFA’s decision over the host of the 2026 World Cup final is down to the Dallas area against the New York City area, according to New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.

The two venues vying to host the final are AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas and MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“They’re going around, but they’ve been pretty clear publicly that it’s Dallas or here in our bid with New York City,” Murphy said in quotes on NorthJersey.com.

“It’s not just the final. That means every stadium gets their package of games. So you don’t know the teams yet, but you know the dates and you know what you’re going to sell generally.”

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been recently spotted attending NFL games at both venues.

Two weeks ago, Infantino was at AT&T Stadium to watch the Dallas Cowboys take on the New York Jets, calling the venue “incredible.”

Infantino took in another Jets game over the weekend, this time watching the Aaron Rodgers-less franchise face the New England Patriots at their home of MetLife Stadium.

Murphy, along with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, have been publicly lobbying this summer for MetLife Stadium to host the final.

“The biggest game should be played on the biggest stage and there is no stage bigger on the globe than this region,” Adams told Reuters in July.

“No team or player will come to our region and feel homesick,” Adams added. “You point to a country on the globe and you are going to find a community here.

“That is our biggest selling point, our diversity and how everyone is going to feel at home playing here.”

Other possible contenders for the final include SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Whichever venues don’t end up hosting the final will likely be considered for semifinal matches or for the tournament’s opening game.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first time the tournament has included 48 teams. The United States, Mexico and Canada will serve as co-hosts, with the U.S. featuring 11 of the 16 host cities.

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Messi looking forward to Copa América: ‘I don’t want to think about’ retirement

“I want to continue enjoying playing, I have the luck to do a job that I love”

Don’t ask Lionel Messi about retirement.

The Inter Miami star, speaking to the “Soñé que Volaba” show on the Olga YouTube channel, said that he is focusing on the present moment and enjoying his life rather than any thoughts of a career off the field.

“I didn’t think (about retirement),” said Messi on his summer decision to leave Paris Saint-Germain for south Florida. “I don’t want to think about it either, because I want to continue enjoying what I do. I took an important step by leaving Europe and coming here, and I don’t want to continue thinking about the next step.

“I want to continue enjoying playing. I have the luck to do a job that I love and, although I have responsibilities and objectives, it is still something that I enjoy.”

Whenever Messi decides to hang his boots up, he says he doesn’t plan on going too far away from the pitch.

“What I am going to do? I don’t know. I like everything related to football,” said Messi. “I like being with kids, teaching, [but could be a] sporting director also.”

Messi has unsurprisingly taken MLS by storm, producing 11 goals and five assists in just 12 appearances since joining Miami this summer. The Herons have already lifted a trophy, with Messi starring as the club claimed the 2023 Leagues Cup, and are somehow still in the mix for an MLS playoff spot despite being eight points adrift before the Argentine icon arrived.

That said, a heavy schedule may put those hopes on ice. Messi was given a game off last weekend, yet had to leave Wednesday’s home win over Toronto FC with what manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino maintained was just “muscular fatigue.”

Messi at the 2026 World Cup? ‘We will see’

Messi had previously said that a triumphant 2022 World Cup would be his last. A few months later, though, and now the legend isn’t so sure.

“I do think about the Copa América,” said Messi, who said that he’s looking forward to the 2024 tournament, which will be held in the United States. “It will be nice because the Centenario match that we played here was very nice. Although we lost the final, we enjoyed the process a lot.

“After the Copa América we will see, it depends on how I feel… We have to see how I feel. I will see how I feel day-by-day, there are three years left [on his Miami contract].”

Messi added that he hasn’t spent much time pondering whether he’s a lesser player than he was while starring with Barcelona, but admitted that Father Time remains undefeated.

“I don’t think about if I’m lowering my level, I…play as always,” said Messi. “But there is a reality: I’m older, a thousand games behind me, and time passes for everyone.”

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Infantino booed as 2026 World Cup tour stops at Dallas Cowboys game

The FIFA president is getting used to this kind of reception

As he continues inspecting venues for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino found himself in a familiar position on Sunday: getting booed.

Infantino was in attendance at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as the Dallas Cowboys easily defeated the Aaron Rodgers-less New York Jets 30-10.

In addition to two Dak Prescott touchdown passes, the FIFA head witnessed former MLS first-round draft pick Brandon Aubrey go five-for-five on his field goal attempts, including a 55-yarder.

The FIFA president is touring several venues in North America as his organization ramps up preparations for the first 48-team World Cup.

The tournament will be hosted by 11 American cities, along with three from Mexico and two from Canada.

AT&T Stadium is considered one of the favorites to host the final, along with MetLife Stadium outside of New York, Los Angeles’s SoFi Stadium and Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

When shown on the big screen, Infantino was given a similar reception to the one he’s used to getting at various soccer games.

Seated to Infantino’s left was Eric Shanks, the CEO of Fox Sports, which holds the broadcast rights for the 2026 World Cup.

Speaking to NBC DFW, Infantino praised the Cowboys stadium, saying that venues in America are “light years ahead” of the rest of the world.

“This stadium is absolutely fantastic, the AT&T Dallas Stadium, it’s incredible,” Infantino said.

“It is incredible we are here of course because we organize a World Cup in a couple of years time and it’s important to see all the stadiums and all the venues.

“It’s important to see what is done for the fans and I have to say in America, you are light years ahead compared to the rest of the world.

“We are here to learn, we are here to check and we are here to organize the biggest FIFA World Cup ever, with six million people coming to the U.S. and six billion watching it from TV.”

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How to watch Argentina vs. Bolivia: CONMEBOL 2026 World Cup qualifier TV and streaming

How to catch Argentina in action against Bolivia in World Cup qualifying

Argentina will continue its march to defend its World Cup title when it travels to face Bolivia in a 2026 qualifier in the altitude of La Paz.

Bolivia will be an especially motivated opponent. With an expanded 48-team field, La Verde have plenty of reason to believe they can crack the World Cup for the first time since 1994.

But there is no doubting the fact that Argentina will be a tough test for Bolivia, which opened up qualifying with a 5-1 loss to Brazil last week.

Of course, the name on everyone’s mind has had an impact already for Argentina in qualifying: Lionel Messi.

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The Argentines won their first qualifier 1-0 over Ecuador, with Messi’s curling free kick in the second half the difference.

Messi’s status for the match against Bolivia is unclear. He was removed from the match against Ecuador due to fatigue, but head coach Lionel Scaloni said after the game that the superstar “felt something” and would need to undergo tests.

But Messi is only the tip of the iceberg for Bolivia. Can the underdogs also handle the likes of Angel Di Maria, Enzo Fernández, Lautaro Martínez and more?

Here’s everything you need to know to catch the action:

Bolivia vs. Argentina (World Cup qualifying)

World Cup Qualifying Starting Lineups

Bolivia possible lineup:
Viscarra; Medina, Quinteros, Jusino, Suarez, Fernandez; Bejarano, Villamil, Ursino, Arrascaita; Moreno

Argentina possible lineup:
Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister; Di Maria, Gonzalez, Martinez

World Cup Qualifying Odds and betting lines

World Cup Qualifier odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook. Odds were last updated Monday at 11:50 a.m. 

Bolivia (+500) vs. Argentina (-185)

Draw: (+310)

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Herdman calls out Canada Soccer: ‘We’re not serious about winning a World Cup’

The coach is fed up with his federation’s lack of investment

Canada men’s national team head coach John Herdman has called out Canada Soccer for its lack of investment, saying the federation is “not serious” about winning a World Cup.

Herdman’s side fell 2-0 to the United States in Sunday’s CONCACAF Nations League final, failing to win its first trophy since 2000.

Part of the reason for Canada’s loss, in Herdman’s eyes, was an inadequate amount of time spent preparing for the game. In contrast to the USMNT, Herdman said his side was only given the funds for four days of preparation — three of which were spent on semifinal opponent Panama.

“There’s no time,” Herdman said at his post-game press conference. “We need the resources where we can actually put a camp together, where I can work for six days on the things that will make the biggest difference moving forward.”

“You could see the preparation the U.S. have had, those set pieces made a big difference. Those extra five, six, seven days they had makes a difference.”

Canada Soccer’s financial troubles have been well documented. The Olympic champion women’s team moved to strike during February’s SheBelieves Cup over cuts to funding, only to be forced onto the field after being threatened with a lawsuit by its own federation.

Amid the turmoil, Canada Soccer president Nick Bontis was forced out and replaced on an interim basis by Charmaine Crooks.

But the federation’s financial problems are still very much an issue. Herdman challenged Canada Soccer to do more ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which it will co-host.

“I think it’s not a secret the organization has been suffering financially even through the [2022] World Cup qualification. You had coaches raising money to make sure we’ve got charter flights, security on those charter flights.

“We’ve got the best generation of players we’ve had. And there’s more coming, you can see it. [Ismaël] Koné just dropped out the sky. Tajon Buchanan just dropped out the sky, Alistair Johnson, like it’s coming,” he said.

“We’ve got to figure this out financially. We’ve got to get serious about winning a World Cup. When you play at home, you get a chance to win it. You get a chance to get to a quarterfinal, a semifinal, and then get on that roll to win it. And we’re not serious,” the coach added.

“We brought a World Cup to our country and we’re not serious about winning it.”

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Messi: I won’t play in the 2026 World Cup but also, maybe I will

The 35-year-old doesn’t appear ready to rule anything out

Lionel Messi won’t play in the 2026 World Cup, unless he changes his mind. In that case, he will.

That was basically the message that the superstar delivered to the media in China, where he is with the Argentina national team ahead of a friendly in Beijing on Thursday against Australia.

Messi has been pretty consistent over the last year, saying before, during and after the 2022 World Cup that the tournament in Qatar would be his last.

Although he basically reiterated that message on Tuesday, the 35-year-old did appear to leave open the possibility he would play at a tournament during which he’ll turn 39.

Asked by Chinese outlet Titan Sports if he’ll play in 2026, Messi answered: “I think not. This was my last World Cup. I’ll see how things go, but as it is right now, no, I won’t go to the next World Cup.”

The interpretation of Messi’s words depends on which part you focus on. Is it the “this was my last World Cup” part or the “I’ll see how things go” part?

There may now be an added incentive for Messi to play in three years: Having recently announced his intention to join Inter Miami, Messi could have something of a home World Cup if he’s still in MLS by the time the tournament hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada rolls around. Miami is even a host city.

Messi’s 2022 World Cup was the ideal way for him to bow out of the game’s biggest stage. But who’s to say that in three years if he’s still healthy and in form (admittedly big ifs), he won’t go for an encore.

His coach wants it. His teammates want it. The fans want it. Could it actually happen? Messi himself doesn’t look like he’s quite ready to rule it out just yet.

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The World Cup 2026 logo will tell you what year the tournament is in

There is a 26 and a trophy — and not much else

FIFA has unveiled the official logo for the 2026 World Cup which contains, well, a 26 and the World Cup.

Breaking from past tradition of colorful logos that contain plenty of pertinent information, FIFA has gone with an understated look for the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

Absent from the logo are the name of the tournament, the names of the host countries, and any identifiable characteristics of the host countries. It does, however, have the trophy.

The 2026 logo and brand identity were revealed at an event in Los Angeles on Wednesday night. Simplicity and customization were the operative words for the logo, which each of the 16 host cities will be able to modify with their own colors and wording.

The “We Are 26” campaign was launched alongside the logo.

“We are 26 is a rallying cry,” said FIFA president Gianni Infantino in a release. “It’s a moment when three countries and an entire continent collectively say: ‘We are united as one to welcome the world and deliver the biggest, best and most inclusive FIFA World Cup ever.’ The tournament will enable each host country and participating team to write their own page in the history books of FIFA World Cups, and this unique brand is a major step on that road to 2026.”

The majority of opinions on the logo seemed to be underwhelmed, though some did appreciate the simplicity and customizable nature. In any case, we at Pro Soccer Wire have designed an alternative that anybody disillusioned by the logo is welcome to use.

We’ve helpfully put that logo at the bottom of these reactions. Please use it at your leisure.

FIFA comes to its senses, sticks with four-team groups for 2026 World Cup

FIFA avoided a problem that it was seemingly set to create for itself

FIFA has decided to retain four-team groups at the 2026 World Cup.

The FIFA council held votes on several major issues in Kigali, Rwanda, ahead of the 73rd FIFA Congress that begins on Thursday. Most notable among those decisions was a unanimous choice to maintain the group sizes at the men’s World Cup despite the tournament’s expansion.

FIFA has opted to let 48 teams contest the 2026 World Cup, easily the largest version of the tournament ever held. However, that expansion comes with some logistical problems: how do you winnow down the initial 48 to a number that is consistent with the knockout round format? The old approach, involving groups of four where the top two sides advance, would see 24 teams going through. There’s no path to a normal final that avoids an awkward fit somewhere along the way.

It had been largely expected that FIFA’s solution would be to shrink the groups themselves, with 16 three-team groups each sending two teams to a 32-team knockout round. That would allow for FIFA to keep the World Cup’s footprint on the calendar from growing despite the addition of 16 more teams.

That would be a departure from the four-team format that had held since the 1954 World Cup. After a bizarre experiment at that tournament saw teams play only two of their three group foes, FIFA instituted a more logical round-robin approach to each group in 1958 that has been in place ever since.

However, after the extraordinary drama in so many of the groups at November’s World Cup, FIFA had reason to reconsider. Three-team groups would conclude with one team in the stands or watching on TV; the thrills of following scores in two separate games being played simultaneously would be lost. The gripping spectacle that FIFA was so happy to have in the 2022 World Cup simply wouldn’t be possible.

On top of that, the schedule would be impossible to balance. For example, a team advancing to the knockout round while not having to play the final game in the group would have a major advantage in terms of rest days over an opponent who didn’t have that luxury.

As such, FIFA announced Tuesday that they’d follow a different course after what it called “a thorough review that considered sporting integrity, player welfare, team travel, commercial and sporting attractiveness, as well as team and fan experience.” FIFA added that “the revised format mitigates the risk of collusion and ensures that all the teams play a minimum of three matches, while providing balanced rest time between competing teams.”

The new version of the tournament will feature a whopping 104 total games, up from the 64 games needed to determine a winner in a 32-team World Cup.

How will the 2026 World Cup group stage work?

Unfortunately for FIFA, there’s no getting around the fact that a 48-team tournament will require an awkward choice somewhere along the lines.

FIFA’s choice is to return to a method used back when the tournament only had 24 teams: the top two sides in every group will go through, along with the eight best third-placed teams. Back in the day, that used to produce a 16-team knockout round comprised of six group winners, six runners-up, and the four best third-place sides.

In 2026, those numbers will all double: 12 group winners, 12 runners-up, and eight third-place sides will go into a 32-team knockout round.

Obviously that creates something of an imbalance. Most group winners will be paired with a third-place finisher, which implies an easier path forward. Four group winners will end up against a runner-up, though, and in all likelihood that will come down to the luck of the draw.

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1994 to 2026: The American World Cup host cities and venues, then and now

A look back at where the World Cup started in the U.S., and where it’s going next

In 2026, the World Cup returns to the United States for the first time in 32 years.

For many reasons, 2026 will be much different. For starters, the U.S. is now a co-host along with Mexico and Canada instead of hosting the tournament on its own.

The event will also feature twice as many teams. The 2026 World Cup will be the first with 48 teams, while the 1994 World Cup was the last with 24.

And of course, the host cities and venues will be different as well. Only five cities that hosted games in 1994 will also host in 2026. And none of the same stadiums will be used.

Let’s look at how the American World Cup host cities and venues have changed over time. We’ll start with the cities that only hosted in 1994, then go on to the cities that hosted both years, and finish with cities who will host for the first time in 2026.

Are you ready? World Cup 2026 host city announcement sets the stage for massive event

The countdown to 2026 is officially on after a glitzy event in New York

NEW YORK — FIFA president Gianni Infantino playfully warned this part of the world does not really know what’s coming in 2026.

“We often say it’s like 64 Super Bowls, in terms of audience, right?” Infantino said.

Thursday’s official announcement of the 16 host cities for the joint 2026 men’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, shed a little light on what’s to come and where people will convene.

“These three countries will be upside down, flipped back again,” Infantino said during an event to reveal the hosts. “The world will be invading Canada, Mexico and the United States. They will be invaded by a big wake of joy and happiness.”

He added 2026 will be “much bigger” than the last time the United States hosted the World Cup in 1994.

FIFA and CONCACAF narrowed 22 finalist locations to 16 cities that will host games in 2026.

That includes 11 U.S. cities: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco/Bay Area and Seattle.

There will be three host cities in Mexico: Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey; and two in Canada: Toronto and Vancouver.

One of the biggest surprises was Washington, D.C. not making the list. It will be only the second time in the men’s tournament history that a host nation’s capital does not host a game.

“This was a very, very difficult choice,” FIFA chief tournaments and events officer Colin Smith said. “You can’t imagine a World Cup coming to the U.S. and the capital city not taking a major role as well. So, we’ll be engaging with all the cities that weren’t chosen to host matches. There’s still lots of other areas of cooperation and working together and celebration.

“We know what a fan fest on the National Mall would be like [on the] 250th anniversary of the U.S.A. on the Fourth of July.”

Infantino confirmed a fan fest will still be held in D.C., which combined its bid with Baltimore in April in an attempt to strengthen its hosting chances.

U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone didn’t want to focus on the cities not selected Thursday, but rather celebrate the ones that will host games.

“This is an exciting day, right? One that we have been waiting for a long, long time to announce who are going to be the host cities,” Parlow Cone said. “And look, our nation’s capital is very much going to be a huge part of this World Cup, even though they’re not hosting games.”

And there will be another chance, if the U.S. hosts the women’s World Cup in 2027 or 2031. Parlow Cone said U.S. Soccer plans to bid for those tournaments, but is waiting on further guidance from FIFA.

(From L) Canada Soccer President Nick Bontis, Mexican Football Federation President Yon de Luisa Plazas), US Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone, FIFA President Gianni Infantino and CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani pose with the FIFA World Cup trophy during an event in New York after an announcement related to the staging of the FIFA World Cup 2026, on June 16, 2022. (Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images) 

The 1994 World Cup holds the record for highest attendance. About 3.58 million spectators watched, with an average match attendance of 68,991, according to U.S. Soccer.

Boston, Dallas and San Francisco hosted games in 1994 and will again in 2026. But Los Angeles, Atlanta and New York could really compete for record crowds based on stadium capacities and their appeal as international hubs.

“This is really a luxury problem that we have (selecting a location for the final) that is probably unique to this part of the world.” Infantino said. “We have cities here that are not just important cities in America, but global capitals.”

In Los Angeles County, matches will be held at the splashy SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, which opened in 2020 with a price tag of $5.5 billion. The venue has a 70,000-person capacity and is home to the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Chargers. It also hosted the most recent Super Bowl in February.

The LA metropolitan area is no stranger to record soccer crowds. The Rose Bowl in Pasadena hosted the 1999 women’s World Cup final in front of 90,185 people. The attendance set the world record for a women’s sporting event for nearly 23 years.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium has also become a soccer hub. The Atlanta venue has superb appeal thanks to an investment from owner Arthur Blank. Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United has experienced early success by winning the MLS Cup in 2018 in its second season.

Atlanta United holds the league’s attendance records for a regular-season match (72,035, March 2018 vs. D.C. United), MLS All-Star Game (72,317, August 2018 vs. Juventus) and for single-game attendance (73,018, December 2018 vs. Portland Timbers for the 2018 MLS Cup final). It also owns a Campeones Cup record (40,128, August 2019 vs. Club América).

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

New York/New Jersey is a host with a particular edge at nabbing the 2026 World Cup final because MetLife Stadium, home of the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets, has a capacity of 82,500.

But the location for the culmination of the tournament has not yet been determined.

“We haven’t even started that process,” CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani said. “We’ve been laboring at the last four years of venue visits to get to this point. There’ll be a whole other process to pick — and it’s not just the final, there’s a lot of big matches, knockout matches and the opening match.”

FIFA and CONCACAF will have to consider multiple factors, including the impact of travel across an entire continent, with multiple time zones and weather conditions.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first hosted by three countries. Nearly 3,000 miles separate Mexico City (the southern-most host) and Vancouver (the farthest north); Los Angeles (farthest west) and Boston (farthest east).

“When we design the calendar, when we decide on the kickoff times, when we look at the different schedules . . . in such a big region like North America, we need to make sure that teams are playing in clusters that the fans don’t have to travel crazy distances, and the teams as well,” Infantino said.

It will also be the first World Cup with an expanded 48-team field, which will be divided into 16 groups of three teams to begin play. Thirty-two teams will advance to the knockout stages.

When Infantino says the World Cup is like 64 Super Bowls, he is referring to the current version of the tournament. With the expanded tournament, the 2026 World Cup will actually, according to Infantino’s definition, be like 80 Super Bowls.

Announcing the host cities was just the start. Now the real work begins, according to Parlow Cone.

“We know we feel like ’26 is far away,” she said, “but it will be here before we know it.”

This article first appeared on USA Today Sports+