BBC Sport Experts Rate 2026 World Cup Stadiums
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- BBC Sport's panel of reporters, commentators, and former players reviewed stadiums across the 16 host cities of the 2026 World Cup, with Mexico's iconic Azteca Stadium earning a passionate endorsement from commentator John Murray, who argued it "should be hosting the final."
- Seattle's Lumen Field drew praise from two BBC reporters — Gary Rose and Vicki Sparks — for its horseshoe design that has earned two Guinness World Records for noise levels, its Mount Rainier backdrop, and the north stand that "juts up like the bow of a ship on a wave's crest."
- Dallas Stadium was hailed by Phil McNulty and Kelly Somers for its air-conditioning, closed roof, and giant screens that help fans in the towering upper seats actually see the match.
- Philadelphia Stadium stood out as one of the few World Cup grounds allowing tailgating, with reporter Neil Johnston noting fans gathering by the Rocky statue and Haitian supporters dancing next to Brazilians during Brazil's 3-0 win over Haiti.
- MetLife Stadium, rebranded as New York New Jersey Stadium for the tournament, impressed BBC's Ian Dennis so much his social media reaction "wow... a stadium to take your breath away" racked up over 5 million views — though he acknowledged it is "not well liked in the US."
- Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium was the stage for Lionel Messi's hat-trick in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria, with reporter Elizabeth Conway describing the sunset over the open-air venue as unforgettable.
- Boston Stadium drew sharp criticism from former Scotland winger Pat Nevin, who called its signage "possibly the most inadequate" he'd seen at a World Cup and said even Erling Haaland "would look like an ant" from the press box's extreme height.
Why it matters: These are the most detailed ground-level reviews of the 2026 World Cup's 16 venues from journalists working out of them, and the split reactions — Seattle and Azteca winning devotion, Boston and MetLife drawing fire — spotlight the high-stakes gamble of spreading a World Cup across a continent's worth of NFL and MLS venues repurposed for soccer, a judgment FIFA, host cities, and sponsors are watching closely.
Ask SkimNews
