New Jersey may have been granted the honor of hosting the World Cup Final in 2026, but will the East Coast get a chance to watch the U.S. Men's National Team play in person?
There's a chance, but the team will certainly have to advance through its group to make that happen, as its three group-stage games will be split between Los Angeles and Seattle.
The USMNT will play their 2026 World Cup group stage matches in LA (SoFi Stadium) and Seattle ??????? pic.twitter.com/wzNwuX0TCk
— ?? USMNTvsHaters (@USMNTvsHaters) February 4, 2024
It's not a completely undeserved reward for the West Coast, which has largely embraced MLS soccer more than the rest of the country. The LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders have been two of the biggest brands in the sport, while LAFC has seen some real star power and even lifted the MLS Cup.
That being said, it would have been plausible to give the East Coast at least one game. Team Canada's games will be split between Vancouver and Toronto, giving two major geographic regions a chance to come see the team play. Also, there are five Eastern host venues in the U.S. — Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Miami and, of course, New Jersey — compared with just three on the Pacific Coast.
However, Mexico is experiencing something more like what we're seeing for the U.S. Its games are to be played in Mexico City and Guadalajara, which are relatively close given the overall size of Mexico and the number of major cities.
Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, the city where the U.S. declared its independence on July 4, 1776, will host a World Cup Round of 16 game on July 4, 2026 ??
Imagine if the USMNT gets to play there on their country's 250th Independence Day ? pic.twitter.com/ATM2I1HER3
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 5, 2024
However, there is hope for the Northeast. On July 4, 2026 — the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence — Philadelphia will host a Round of 16 matchup. Considering the fact that this game will take place almost in the shadow of Independence Hall, where the Declaration itself was signed, it would be truly special if the USMNT could play in that contest.
It would be doubly iconic if the clash were to be against England, which has never beaten the United States in five matchups between the men's and women's World Cups. But first, the Red, White and Blue will have to get through a West Coast tour; stay tuned to see whom they'll be facing in those matches.
