The 2026 FIFA World Cup is tabled to start on June 11th. The 48-team event will have more matches than in previous years & FIFA has just released some new details regarding the tournament schedule. This includes the location of the final which is set to be held in New Jersey on July 19th. USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter is undoubtedly excited by the prospect of a home World Cup after 29 years and revealed his thoughts regarding the group-stage fixtures of the US soccer team.

Under Berhalter, USMNT had a good run in Qatar 2022 where they were eliminated in the round of 16 by the Netherlands. They had fielded one of the tournament’s youngest teams, and Berhalter will hope that the players can go one better in 2026.

Gregg Berhalter ‘can already picture’ the incredible atmosphere & support for the USMNT

The USMNT will start its campaign in Los Angeles before playing in Seattle. They again conclude the group stages with a match in Los Angeles on June 25th. USMNT coach Berhalter shared his excitement at the released schedule. He said, “Wow is the first thing right. When you think about LA and iconic Soccer City, already hosted three World Cup finals with the men’s World Cup in 1994 then the women’s in 99 and the women’s again in 2003.”

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The coach also raved about how important California and Los Angeles are to the US from a soccer point of view. He explained, “You think about the rich tradition of Southern California producing tons of players for our program. Then you have LA Galaxy, LAFC, Sofi Stadium a lot going on with LA.” LA was not the only city that got Berhalter’s praise as he lauded Seattle for its rich fan culture and loud atmosphere.

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The USMNT coach further added, “I can already picture our bus driving to the stadium weaving through the city and having the march to the match seeing the fans. It’s going to be an incredible atmosphere.” While US fans are quite excited to host the mega event, Canada & Mexico are also hosting the World Cup and FIFA has released the schedules of their first matches as well.

When and where will the host countries kickstart their 2026 World Cup?

An interesting fact is that the 3 countries will start their campaign on home soil. Mexico will be featuring in the inaugural match on June 11 at the Azteca Stadium. The USMNT, on the other hand, will be starting their tournament on June 12 at the SoFi Stadium in LA.

The third host, Canada will also have their first match on June 12  at the BMO field in Toronto. The match to determine the third-placed team will be at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. The final will be at MetLife stadium which has a capacity of 82,500.

What is your prediction for the USMNT at the 2026 World Cup? Tell us in the comments below.

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