Boston chosen as host city for 2026 World Cup

BOSTON -- The city of Boston -- by way of a quick detour in Foxboro -- will officially be hosting World Cup matches in 2026.

FIFA announced the host cities for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday, and Boston was on the list.

In a pre-recorded video that aired during FIFA's television special for the announcement, New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry appeared on the field at Gillette Stadium to celebrate Boston's choice.

Here are all of the North American cities selected to host World Cup matches in 2026, broken down by region:

WEST
Vancouver
Seattle
San Francisco/Bay Area
Los Angeles
Guadalajara

CENTRAL
Kansas City
Dallas
Atlanta
Houston
Monterrey
Mexico City

EAST
Toronto
Boston
Philadelphia
Miami
New York/New Jersey

Foxboro hosted World Cup matches in 1994, at the old Foxboro Stadium, including a match in the knockout stage where eventual runner-up Italy defeated Spain, 2-1. This year's matches will be held at Gillette Stadium.

"We are thrilled to welcome FIFA World Cup Soccer back to Massachusetts in 2026," Governor Charlie Baker said after the announcement. "The teams and their fans from around the world will be welcomed by the Commonwealth's restaurants and attractions both in Boston and beyond and we are appreciative of Robert Kraft for his efforts as Honorary Chair of the United Bid to help bring the World Cup back to the United States, as well as the Boston Soccer 2026 Committee for its tireless work to secure Boston as a host city."

"The City of Boston is excited to once again welcome the worldwide soccer community and visitors as the FIFA World Cup returns to Massachusetts," said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. "We're proud of our long legacy of championship teams and fans, and we're ready to showcase our city to soccer fans around the world as they come to celebrate the beautiful game."