World Cup 2026 stadiums ranked as $21bn NFL mogul takes No. 1 spot and Canada dealt brutal blow

The FIFA World Cup is fast approaching with a historic tournament taking place across three countries spanning North America.

In total, 48 teams are taking part in the biggest-ever edition of the biggest tournament in football — or soccer — depending on what side of the pond you hail from.

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The U.S., Mexico, and Canada have plenty of offer in terms of stunning stadiums, from the only three-time World Cup host to the most expensive stadium ever built.

Live Football Tickets has ranked the 16 venues from most to least iconic, and it is not a good look for Canada.

They were judged on capacity, how well they fit the Golden Ratio and social media mentions.

AT&T Stadium is World Cup’s most iconic arena

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, worth $21.3 billion per Forbes, poured his heart and soul into AT&T Stadium, often referred to as Jerry’s World.

The $1.3 billion venue, which will be rebranded Dallas Stadium in a controversial move, can hold 94,000 people, making it the largest at the tournament.

It is also strikingly symmetrical and lands top reviews from fans to claim top spot in these rankings.

MetLife Stadium fans have not been treated to much of a show this season with the New York Jets and Giants managing just seven wins between them.

But it scooped second place here, thanks to its ability to hold 82,500 people and architectural precision. It will host the final on July 19.

No stadium has ever hosted matches at three World Cups, but Mexico’s Estadio Azteca will soon hold the honor.

It also played a role in 1970 and 1986, counting Pelé’s coronation and Diego Maradona‘s infamous Hand of God among standout moments.

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Super Bowl LXII host Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, was fourth, with SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California, rounding off the top five.

The home of the Rams and Chargers cost $5.5 billion to build — over than $3 billion more than any current arena.

The gap will be closed when the Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Commanders, Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears complete their new homes.

Unfortunately for fans of the northernmost host, Canada’s two venues finished 15th and 16th out of 16.

BC Place in Vancouver narrowly avoided being bottom as Toronto’s BMO Field props up the rest.

Including BMO’s 17,000 temporary seats, both stadiums combined can hold just 5,000 more fans than AT&T.

FIFA defends World Cup ticket prices

Eye-watering ticket prices have come under scrutiny throughout the build-up.

Aside from a tiny number of $40 seats, entry to the final will cost upwards of $4,000.

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But FIFA chief Gianni Infantino pointed at huge demand with 500 million ticket requests to justify the price point.

“The tickets are not cheap,” he said. “We were hammered. I was hammered, I should say, because of the ticket prices, because they are so expensive.

“And the main critics were from Germany and England, of course. Now, No 1 in ticket requests is the US. No 2, Germany, No 3, England, because everyone wants to come and to participate.”