Fans tear the FIFA World Cup 2026 logo after the official announcement of the men’s tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, know its meaning explained
Fans are already discussing about the largest World Cup in history and its official logo, even though it won’t take place until 2026.
FIFA World Cup 2026 logo meaning, schedule, date, time, stadiums, venue, format, host country
The image that is anticipated to rank among the most identifiable symbols of the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico, was unveiled on May 17 at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
The new symbol caught the attention of fans because it constituted a notable break from the more complex and vivid designs of earlier editions. The simplicity of the implementation was critiqued by many of them.
The tournament in 2026 has a new emblem and will be the first to be co-hosted by three nations.
The tournament will feature a larger field of 48 teams and 104 games will be played in a record number of venues.
#WeAre26 pic.twitter.com/H1SyqypUYY
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) May 18, 2023
World Cup 2026 stadiums, cities, host venues
The 23rd men’s World Cup will take place in 16 cities across North America.
The majority of the games, including all of the knockout stage matches, will be played in the United States. Three cities in Mexico and two in Canada will host group-stage games.
The following is a list of the 16 cities. Match assignments haven’t yet been made public.
Venues to host 2026 World Cup matches
| Country | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | Toronto | BMO Field | 45,500 |
| Canada | Vancouver | BC Place | 54,000 |
| Mexico | Guadalajara | Estadio Akron | 46,232 |
| Mexico | Mexico City | Estadio Azteca | 87,523 |
| Mexico | Monterrey | Estadio BBVA | 53,500 |
| USA | Atlanta | Mercedes-Benz Stadium | 71,000 |
| USA | Boston | Gillette Stadium | 65,878 |
| USA | Dallas | AT&T Stadium | 80,000 |
| USA | Houston | NRG Stadium | 71,795 |
| USA | Kansas City | Arrowhead Stadium | 76,416 |
| USA | Los Angeles | SoFi Stadium | 70,240 |
| USA | Miami | Hard Rock Stadium | 64,767 |
| USA | New York | MetLife Stadium | 82,500 |
| USA | Philadelphia | Lincoln Financial Field | 69,176 |
| USA | San Francisco | Levi’s Stadium | 68,500 |
| USA | Seattle | Lumen Field | 69,000 |
Where is the location of the 2026 World Cup final?
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will start on June 11, 2026, and it will finish a little over a month later, on July 19, 2026.
The stadium for the final on July 19, 2026 will reportedly be one of these three locations:
- Los Angeles: SoFi Stadium (Inglewood, Calif.)
- New York: MetLife Stadium (East Rutherford, N.J.)
- Dallas: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
Men’s World Cup finals have previously been held in Mexico City and a Los Angeles neighbourhood on North American soil:
- 1970: Estadio Azteca (Mexico City)
- 1986: Estadio Azteca (Mexico City)
- 1994: Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.)
World Cup 2026 timeline, key dates
The 2026 World Cup will be played in Canada for the first time, Mexico for the third time (1970, 1986), and the United States for the second time (1994).
The nations’ joint bid was accepted by FIFA in 2018 after being submitted.
- June 13, 2018: Bid by USA, Canada, and Mexico voted to host 2026 event
- July 18, 2022: Cities, stadiums announced for 2026 World Cup
- March 14, 2023: FIFA approves format for 48-team World Cup in 2026
- May 17, 2023: FIFA World Cup logo is unveiled
- June 11, 2026: FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off
FIFA World Cup 2026 format
The 48 teams that advanced to the FIFA World Cup in 2026 will be divided into 12 groups of four teams.
The top two teams from each group as well as the eight best third-place teams will compete in the Round of 32, the first round of the knockout rounds.
The knockout phases, beginning with the Round of 32, will consist of single-elimination matches that, in the event of a draw after 90 minutes, advance to extra time and penalties.
There will be rest stops en route to the Final in the Round of 32, Round of 16, Quarterfinals, and Semifinals. There will be 104 total matches.
What is the FIFA 2026 World Cup logo?
A vertically stacked white “2” and “6” with the word “FIFA World Cup” on top make up the 2026 FIFA World Cup logo.
FIFA unveils the official 2026 FIFA World Cup logo! 🏆🖼#WeAre26 pic.twitter.com/otTCm3YEVV
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) May 18, 2023
At this precise moment, Brazilian World Cup hero Ronaldo and FIFA President Gianni Infantino made the introduction and unveiled it.
We're officially on the road to 2026! 😍🏆#WeAre26 | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/83Js8H3zCj
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) May 18, 2023
Due to its simple design, one such implementation, which was spotted on the roof of SoFi Stadium, one of the tournament locales, appears to be feasible.
There’s the logo of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, unveiled tonight on top of SoFi. pic.twitter.com/CvLORVbzBD
— Greg Beacham (@gregbeacham) May 18, 2023
As was also revealed during the logo introduction, each host city would eventually create a logo and colour scheme that is unique to each venue and captures the spirit and personality of the city.
Social media reacts to the FIFA World Cup logo
The simple design was liked by a small number of people, but not by many. There were many references to clip art.
This may be the worst brand I've ever seen. Not even just among World Cup logos/branding. Jesus.
How did we go from these to this generic disappointment? #WeAre26 https://t.co/XsOxeb0KAk pic.twitter.com/lLgYvfA69P
— Colton Coreschi (@cjcoreschi) May 18, 2023
Another user reacted:
We are underwhelmed. https://t.co/Bsyggbmba2
— Alexander Abnos (@AnAbnos) May 18, 2023
Here is another user who is not impressed by the new FIFA World Cup logo:
This is the World Cup logo? Are you serious? Please say sike https://t.co/Jz7IAWSrHJ
— Jordan (@NatFan9) May 18, 2023
Some of them think the new logo is the “worst World Cup logo in history”
Is this a joke? If not, worst World Cup logo in history. https://t.co/vFjFWWWqpV
— Peter Schaad (@PeteSchaad) May 18, 2023