2026 World Cup host cities are unveiled, but D.C. and Baltimore miss out

NEW YORK — FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, announced Thursday that 16 cities across three countries will host matches in the 2026 World Cup, but neither Washington nor Baltimore will be among them.

Those two cities merged their bids this spring to improve the region’s chances — an effort suggested by FIFA and U.S. soccer officials after FedEx Field in Landover received low scores by tournament organizers last fall. The joint bid proposed games at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore and a fan festival on the National Mall, as well as other ancillary events in D.C.