Detroit named preliminary host candidate for 2026 World Cup bid
By Zac Snyder
Detroit was one of 34 American cities named in the list of potential hosts in the joint bid between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico for the 2026 World Cup.
Whether packing over 100,000 fans at Michigan Stadium or out-drawing the U.S. Men’s National Team at Comerica Park, southeast Michigan has built a reputation for supporting big soccer events. Another could be on the horizon.
As part of the joint USA-Mexico-Canada bid to host the 2026 World Cup, a total of 37 American stadiums have been put on the preliminary list as possible hosts. Detroit and Ford Field are in the running.
At this point that just means Detroit is one of the cities that has been sent a request for information to be considered as a possible host when the official bid for the 2026 tournament is submitted to FIFA. The offical bid will whittle down the possible host list to 20-25 stadiums, of which at least 12 will host games, according to the bid committee.
All told, the 2026 World Cup will have 80 games – 60 of which will be in the United States, with Mexico and Canada splitting the other 20.
In addition to big attendance numbers for recent International Champions Cup games, the Detroit region may hold an advantage considering the Pontiac Silverdome was a site for 1994 World Cup games. This time around, Detroit can boast a far superior facility in Ford Field, fresh off a $100 million renovation as the bid cycle heats up.
Detroit Lions president Rod Wood has talked about trying to bring big time events to “the new Ford Field” and a World Cup would certainly qualify.
Of course, the North American bid would have to be the winner before Detroit could actually become one of the sites – if it even makes the next cut. The bid does face a challenge from Morocco after they declared their intentions right at the FIFA deadline.
Next: Time for the USMNT to come back to Detroit
Even so, the North American bid is seen as an overwhelming favorite considering the size of the market and that the tournament hasn’t been on the continent since 1994. FIFA generally likes rotating the World Cup among the continents and Africa had a host in South Africa in 2010.