When Philadelphia won a spot as a host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, lots of local soccer fans immediately started dreaming of the United States playing in the nation’s birthplace. Think again.
FILE - This is an aerial view showing MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., June 20, 2014. The Americans in the 2026 World Cup wouldn’t play anywhere in the Eastern time zone short of making the final or the third-place game .
Unfortunately, FIFA’s latest announcement about the 2026 schedule has all but dashed those dreams. World soccer’s governing body confirmed the Americans’ pathway in the tournament on Wednesday, and while they may come here, the odds are slim. That means the home team would play in just four of the 12 U.S. markets that will host games, a far lower portion than most World Cup hosts do. It also means the Americans wouldn’t play anywhere in the Eastern time zone short of making the final , or the third-place game .
If the U.S. finishes second in its group this time, it would go to Dallas for the round of 32 on July 3, Atlanta for the round of 16 on July 7, Kansas City for the quarterfinals on July 11, and back to Atlanta for the semis on July 15. The third scenario would send the U.S. to Kansas City to face the winner of Group K on July 13. Win that game, and the U.S. would cross the border to Vancouver for the round of 16. The rest of that pathway would go back to Kansas City for the quarterfinals, then to Atlanta for the semis.
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