March 19, 2018
Philadelphia has been selected as one of 23 cities to be included in a bid to bring the 2026 World Cup to North America.
Before making the short list, Philly had been among of 44 cities under consideration for the bid, which would bring the quadrennial sporting event to sites in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
JUST IN: Philadelphia will join 22 other cities in Canada, Mexico and the US as a Candidate Host City for the 2026 FIFA World Cup! Get excited! #Unity2026 pic.twitter.com/DlByZZxSIq
— Philadelphia CVB (@discoverPHL) March 16, 2018
FIFA's requirements are that cities hosting games have stadiums with the capacities to hold at least 40,000 people. Lincoln Financial Field's capacity is 69,328 and has frequently been used for soccer matches in addition to its main role as home turf for the Philadelphia Eagles.
While 23 cities will be part of the bid that's being submitted Friday, only 12 will get chosen as host cities. Here are the other cities that made the cut, via the Boston Globe:
• Foxborough, Massachusetts
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Cincinnati, Ohio
• Denver, Colorado
• East Rutherford, New Jersey
• Arlington, Texas
• Houston, Texas
• Inglewood or Pasadena, California
• Santa Clara, California
• Kansas City, Missouri
• Baltimore, Maryland
• Landover, Maryland
• Miami, Florida
• Nashville, Tennessee
• Orlando, Florida
• Seattle, Washington
• Guadalajara,
• Mexico City
• Monterrey
• Edmonton
• Montreal
• Toronto
Morocco also is making a bid to host the 2026 World Cup. Members of FIFA Congress are scheduled to pick the winner on June 13 in Moscow.
