Minneapolis is the latest U.S. city to withdraw from the running to host games in the men's 2026 FIFA World Cup, citing unacceptable demands from soccer's international governing body.
The announcement Thursday came a day before the U.S., Canada and Mexico are set to submit a formal bid for the soccer tournament, which is held every four years.
"After much discussion and several attempts to work within the parameters prescribed by FIFA, we chose not to continue forward in the bid process," the Minneapolis Bid Committee said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the inability to negotiate the terms of the various bid agreements did not provide our partners, and our community, with sufficient protections from future liability and unforeseen changes in commitments."
Before pulling out, Minneapolis was one of 18 cities in the U.S. in the running to host matches in the summer of 2026. Had the city been selected, it would have hosted games at U.S. Bank Stadium. Minnesota United's Allianz Field, which is under construction in St. Paul, isn't large enough to host the games.
Chicago and Vancouver have also pulled out of the process this week, referring to failed negotiations with FIFA.
Behind the Summer Olympics, the men's World Cup is the best-attended sports event in the world, and the final in Brazil in 2014 attracted a television audience about 10 times the size of a Super Bowl's typical audience.
The 2026 tournament will be the largest ever, with an expanded field of 48 teams instead of the traditional 32, so cities might have hosted as many as six matches.
Because of the United States' infrastructure, abundance of large stadiums and success in hosting the 1994 World Cup, the U.S., Mexico and Canada had been seen as heavy favorites to host the event. The other nation bidding for the tournament is Morocco. But the North American bid has been cast in doubt in recent months, partly because of rising anti-American sentiment that could favor Morocco.
