Press Release

Bipartisan resolution recognizes the first FIFA tournament to be jointly hosted by three nations: the United States, Canada, and Mexico WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Peter Welch and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) today celebrated the Senate’s unanimous passage of their bipartisan resolution honoring the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Senators’ resolution celebrates that for first time in the history of the competition, the World Cup has been jointly hosted by three nations, with matches held across 16 North American cities, including 11 in the United States, three in Mexico, and two in Canada. The resolution underlines how this milestone was made possible by the spirit of continental unity and cooperation among America’s neighbors. The 2026 FIFA World Cup marks a milestone in sporting history as the first to feature an expanded field of 48 national teams and a record 104 matches. America’s host cities for this year’s competition included Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Seattle. “The ‘United Bid’ of America, Canada, and Mexico was made possible by a shared, strong partnership between our countries, grounded in mutual respect and centered on shared values of peace and prosperity. From Boston to Seattle, we’ve been thrilled to welcome folks from across the world to America to foster global peace, friendship, and fair competition. It was exciting to watch the U.S. Men’s National Team compete with grit and determination, which rallied so many Americans around this historic tournament,” said Senator Welch . “I’m proud to join Senator Cramer in leading this effort thanking our great neighbors, Canada and Mexico, for their collaboration in bringing the world’s most popular tournament back home in a historic way.” “This year’s FIFA World Cup has been one for the books! Unanimously passing our resolution is a fitting way to send all teams home with respect for their accomplishments and appreciation for their sportsmanship. Welcoming the world with American hospitality while celebrating our shared love for soccer has been a highlight of the year,” said Senator Cramer . The 2026 Men’s World Cup is the highest attended FIFA World Cup in the competition’s history, with a current all-time attendance record of 3,605,357 . Prior to this year’s tournament, the 1994 FIFA World Cup, which was hosted by the United States, was the most attended tournament in history with over 3,587,000 spectators . The legacy of the 1994 FIFA World Cup fundamentally changed the trajectory of soccer in America, leading directly to the 1996 launch of Major League Soccer and the creation of new professional pathways for players from the United States. Read and download the full text of the resolution. ###