Despite the 2026 World Cup being held in the United States, soccer fans in Central Ohio will have to travel hundreds of miles to see any of the games in person.
In addition to the games in the U.S., World Cup matches will be played at two stadiums in Canada and three in Mexico. The World Cup final will be held in East Rutherford, New Jersey at MetLife Stadium, the home of the NFL’s New York Jets and New York Giants.
The United States Men’s National Team plays its first game in the group stage on June 12 vs. Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and plays all three group games on the West Coast.
Find out below where the closest World Cup games are going on relative to Columbus.
What is the closest World Cup 2026 venue to Columbus?
See a list of the top five closest stadiums to Columbus, Ohio.
So, the closest World Cup venue to Columbus is not even in the United States. The closest venue is BMO Field in Toronto, Canada, the home field of MLS team Toronto FC.
The closest U.S. venue is Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, approximately 475 miles from Columbus.
Below is a schedule of the World Cup games hosted by the five venues above:
Group Stage:
Friday, June 12:
Saturday, June 13:
Sunday, June 14:
Tuesday, June 16:
Wednesday, June 17:
Thursday, June 18:
Friday, June 19:
Saturday, June 20:
Sunday, June 21:
Monday, June 22:
Tuesday, June 23:
Wednesday, June 24:
Thursday, June 25:
Friday, June 26:
Saturday, June 27:
Round of 32
Tuesday, June 30:
Wednesday, July 1:
Thursday, July 2:
Friday, July 3:
Round of 16
Saturday, July 4:
Sunday, July 5:
Tuesday, July 7:
Quarterfinals
Saturday, July 11:
Semifinals
Wednesday, July 15:
Sunday, July 19:
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: The closest 2026 World Cup venue to Columbus
Reporting by Dan Aulbach, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dan Aulbach, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
