WASHINGTON (AP) — FedEx Field in Landover, Md., dropped a bid Thursday to host 2026 World Cup games, and the Washington area merged its campaign with M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
The joint bid would have a fan festival on the District of Columbia’s National Mall.
FedEx Field, opened in 1997, was among the oldest facilities that originally bid in 2017. It hosted matches during the 1999 Women’s World Cup. DC’s RFK Stadium was the site of matches during the 1994 Men’s World Cup and is to be demolished.
Seventeen US stadiums in 16 regions remain in World Cup contention, with the Los Angeles area submitting both SoFi Stadium in Inglewood and the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, site of the 1994 World Cup final.
Three cities in Canada and Mexico are candidates. The bid plan called for a total of 16 venues for the tournament. FIFA targeted mid-May to announce venue selections, but that pushed that back until at least mid-June.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first with 48 nations and the first with three co-hosts. FIFA selected the bid as joint host in June 2018.
Sixty games are to be played in the United States, including all from the quarter-finals. Canada and Mexico will host 10 matches each.
The remaining areas and stadiums:
UNITED STATES
Arlington, Texas, AT&T Stadium
Atlanta, Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Baltimore, M&T Bank Stadium
Cincinnati, Paul Brown Stadium
Denver, Empower Field at Mile High
East Rutherford, New Jersey, MetLife Stadium
Foxborough, Massachusetts, Gillette Stadium
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Houston, NRG Stadium
Inglewood, California, SoFi Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri, Arrowhead Stadium
Miami Gardens, Florida, Hard Rock Stadium
Nashville, Tennessee, Nissan Stadium
Orlando, Florida, Camping World Stadium
Pasadena, California, Rose Bowl
Philadelphia, Lincoln Financial Field
Santa Clara, California, Levi’s Stadium
Seattle, Lumen Field
CANADA
Edmonton, Alberta, Commonwealth Stadium
Toronto, BMO land
Vancouver, British Columbia, BC Place
MEXICO
Guadalajara, Akron Stadium
Mexico City, Azteca Stadium
Monterrey, BBVA Stadium
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