On Saturday, the FIFA World Cup staged a round of 16 match in early July in Philadelphia, where temperatures approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit and heat indexes ticked even higher. Kickoff was set for 5 p.m. Eastern Time, the hour projected to have the highest heat index of the entire day.
Fifteen days later, they will host the final in East Rutherford, N.J. at 3 p.m. Eastern, two days shy of what is, on average, the New York City suburb’s highest average temperature of the year.
It’s understandable that FIFA wants to put it’s biggest games in primetime European TV windows. But doing so in outdoor stadiums, in a nation that has so many elite indoor venues capable of hosting matches, is downright reckless.
Of the 16 venues being used, only four are truly climate controlled. (The Los Angeles Stadium is covered but uses engineering and natural climate features to control temperature). There are at least a half dozen others that could’ve been included to allow matches in the hottest average markets remain night-time only affairs.
Here are five stadiums tournament orgnizers missed out on. Most of these cities either failed to submit a bid to host matches, or pulled out due to rising cost estimates. But that’s arguably on FIFA, which should’ve for seen the benefits of courting cities with climate controlled venues and acted accordingly.
U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
Capacity 73,000
The home of the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings is one of the newer additions to the big soccer event rotation in the United States, but it’s a real shame that the Twin Cities weren’t among the American host cities.
That became clear when the venue hosted a riveting Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinal doubleheader that involved the United States and Canada. The MLS club Minnesota United also enjoys exceptional support in the Twin Cities, and the region is one of the most pleasant to visit in North America climate wise in June and July.
State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
Capacity 63,400
It’s a bit surprising that the greater Phoenix area was not among the cities bidding for World Cup matches, though the city was involved in very preliminary exploratory discussions.
Yes, the climate for visitors outdoors in June and July is among the worst in the United States. But indoors, State Farm Stadium is in the regular rotation as a venue for the Concacaf Gold Cup and Concacaf Nations League, as well as periodic Mexico national team friendlies.
There is also an abundance of suitable training facilities in the region, which is in the circuit of MLS preseason destinations. (That may change when the league flips its schedule to a summer start.)
Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas
Capacity 61,000
Apparently Las Vegas bowed out of World Cup venue consideration early because its tray field system could not accommodate FIFA’s required pitch width. But that seems like an obstacle that could’ve been worked around in retrospect, given that FIFA has essentially built its own pitches at other venues above the regular playing surfaces.
While the long-term benefits of hosting World Cup matches are certainly questionable, in the short term it feels weird that America’s biggest event town isn’t part of the world’s biggest event, especially while its tourism sector is navigating a substantial downturn.
Ford Field, Detroit
Capacity 65,000
With its square-ish shaped lower seating bowl and downtown location, Ford Field would’ve been an ideal World Cup venue, both from the perspective of field orientation and fan experience. Detroit is also among the most iconic American cities as the home of the nation’s automobile injury and birthplace of the Motown music scene.
But like other American markets – including its Midwest bretheren Chicago and Minneapolis — Detroit goverment leaders ultimately decided the potential costs of hosting the event didn’t make sense for city priorities.
Stade Olympique, Montreal
Capacity 61,004
This is the biggest leap, but hey, we can dream, right?
Montreal’s Stade Olympique was built for the 1976 Olympic Summer Games, later became home of baseball’s Montreal Expos, and in recent years has been an occasional venue for the MLS side Montreal Impact and CFL team Montreal Alouettes. But it has been closed since 2024 for a massive project to replace its malfunctioning retractable roof with a permanent structure, scheduled to be completed in 2028.
That said, it’s certainly possible that the city could’ve worked more quickly on the project had they stayed with their bid to host matches. Montreal was one of the cities that pulled out of the process after balking at increasing cost estimates.
