JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – World Cup matches won't be coming to Jacksonville in 2026.
Jacksonville, along with eight other cities, were not selected from a preliminary list of potential host sites for a combined bid from the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Birmingham, Cleveland, Indianapolis, New Orleans, Ottawa, Ontario; Pittsburgh, Regina, Saskatchewan and San Antonio were also not selected.
Three other Florida cities did make the cut of 32 cities. Orlando, Miami and Tampa were among the 25 U.S. cities chosen by the United Bid Committee. Other southeastern cities chosen are Atlanta, Charlotte, and Nashville.
“We received applications from 41 cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States and narrowed the list after a comprehensive review of each of the communities and facilities. The 32 cities that we have identified as potential host cities, on their own and together, are prepared to welcome soccer fans from around the world. They are more than capable of helping fulfill the shared vision and ambition of FIFA and the United Bid in shaping the future of soccer in North America,” said John Kristick, executive director of the United Bid Committee.
The cities remaining on the list are not guaranteed to remain on a list should the United Bid Committee's bid become accepted as the host for the 2026 World Cup.
“While not every city will move forward as a potential host city, we were so impressed by all the applicants that we will continue to engage with all the cities as part of our hosting strategy and we will welcome the opportunity to work with FIFA to further expand our hosting concept to ensure the broadest possible impact for this spectacular event,” said Kristick.
The United Bid Committee said they would continue engaging with Jacksonville and the other eight cities that are not advancing to the next stage of the candidate host city process. Those cities, along with others, are being considered as possible locations for Team Base Camps or other competition-related events leading up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The entire list of cities moving forward as as potential host cities:
Canada (4)
Edmonton, Alberta
Montréal, Québec
Toronto, Ontario
Vancouver, British Columbia
Mexico (3)
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Mexico City, Mexico
Monterrey, Nuevo León
United States (25)
Atlanta, Georgia
Baltimore, Maryland
Boston, Massachusetts
Charlotte, North Carolina
Cincinnati, Ohio
Chicago, Illinois
Dallas, Texas
Denver, Colorado
Detroit, Michigan
Houston, Texas
Kansas City, Missouri
Las Vegas, Nevada
Los Angeles, California
Miami, Florida
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Nashville, Tennessee
New York/New Jersey
Orlando, Florida
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Phoenix, Arizona
Salt Lake City, Utah
San Francisco Bay Area
Seattle, Washington
Tampa, Florida
Washington, D.C.