Will Rose Bowl Stadium See Another World Cup? With FIFA’s Award of 2026 Men’s Games to North America, It’s Possible

On Wednesday, FIFA approved a joint bid by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada for the 2026 Men’s World Cup, with two Los Angeles arenas, Pasadena’s Rose Bowl Stadium and the yet to be built Rams Stadium in Inglewood as possible sites for gameplay.

Upon hearing the news, a Rose Bowl Stadium spokesperson tweeted, “Congratulations to @united2026! We are excited to unite in North America as one of 23 candidate host cities! Bring the #WorldCup back to Los Angeles!”

It won’t be the first time a World Cup game was at Pasadena’s beloved Bowl. 1994’s championship game was played here when the World Cup was last held in the U.S. In 1999 and 2003, the Rose Bowl also served as the site of the championship game when the U.S. women’s team won.

Most 2026 games will be played in the U.S, which will see about 60 matches. Mexico and Canada will host ten matches each. North America beat out Morocco for the chance to host the games, with the U.S. bid receiving 134 of 200 votes cast.

Host cities will be determined by FIFA at a later date. LA is one of 17 cities up for the honor. Other cities include Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Nashville, New York/New Jersey, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle and Washington, D.C.