The combined bid of Washington D.C. and Baltimore was not selected to host matches in the 2026 World Cup, as the nation’s capital made some unwanted history on Thursday.
For only the the second time in men’s World Cup history, the capital of a host country will not host any matches.
The only other time a capital or surrounding area missed out was in 1974, when the West German capital of Bonn did not host a match.
The snub marks the end of a difficult bid process for Washington, D.C. The city first began as a standalone bid with FedEx Field in suburban Maryland as its venue.
However, due to a myriad of issues with the stadium, which is home to the NFL’s Commanders, Washington D.C. merged its bid with nearby Baltimore in April.
The joint bid would have seen matches played at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, while a fan festival and other activities would be held in Washington.