Thomas Deschaine (@uskeeper on X and us_keeper on Instagram)
The logic of the United States makes it nearly impossible for the USMNT or USWNT to have a primary venue to play all their home games, but over the past few cycles a trend has developed to play in a handful of stadiums. US Soccer says there are specific factors behind how matches are played; some make sense, while others come across as lazy or lacking creativity.
If and when Major League Soccer aligns with the FIFA calendar and observes international breaks, more MLS stadiums could become available for matches. While not all MLS venues currently have natural grass, US Soccer has indicated it is willing to invest in installing grass, albeit at a cost of approximately $500,000 and with potential concerns about the reliability of the surface.
Global approach to planning
Many of the top international teams play their World Cup qualifiers and other crucial matches in one or two primary locations. Here’s an example of some of those countries and where they generally play, based on my research.
Here are some of the more notable countries that play almost all of their home games in one venue, a setup made practical by their smaller size and simpler logistics, which also makes it easier for fans.
Germany and Spain are known for spreading their non-critical home games across multiple locations.
Argentina-Estadio Monumental (river plate)
Belgium– King Baudouin Stadium (Brussels)
Colombia-Roberto Meléndez Metropolitan Stadium
England-Wembley Stadium
France– Stade de France (Saint-Denis, near Paris)
Italy-Olympic Stadium
Northern Ireland-Windsor Park (Belfast)
Norway-Ullevaal Stadium (Oslo)
Portugal– Estádio da Luz (Lisbon)
Republic of Ireland-Aviva Stadium (Dublin)
Scotland-Hampden Park (Glasgow)
Uruguay-Centennial Stadium
Wales-Cardiff city stadium
What is included in a location?
Here’s a look at the past few cycles, focusing on the USMNT’s home games and the venues they’ve used. While US Soccer has made it clear that they do not control the venue selection for the Gold Cup or the Nations League, a point that is still up for debate, they do manage the venues for friendlies and World Cup qualifiers and continue to review and adjust those choices.
Cycle 2026 (games scheduled until the end of 2025) – 46 home games – 30 unique cities
So far, half of the USMNT’s home games in the 2026 cycle have been held at eight locations. There are only two windows left, March and May/June, for friendlies before the 2026 World Cup.
- 4-AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
- 4-Energizer Park, formerly CityPark, St. Louis, Missouri
- 4-Q2 Stadium, Austin, Texas
- 3-Inter&Co Stadium (formerly Orlando City Stadium and Exploria Stadium, Orlando, Florida
- 2-Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada
- 2-Geodispark, Nashville, Tennessee
- 2-Rentschler Field, East Hartford, Connecticut
- 2-TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas
Cycle 2022 – 43 home games – 24 unique cities
I can almost pass US Soccer over the selection of cities and locations during the 2022 cycle, given the global circumstances at the time. That said, it’s interesting that they’ve scheduled three straight World Cup qualifiers in Ohio, with second-round matches in Columbus. Columbus has been a returning choice, hosting multiple qualifying matches in 2014, 2018 and 2022, playing one match each during both the semi-final and final qualifying rounds in 2014 and 2018.
Lower.com, Columbus, Ohio
Cycle 2018 – 47 home games – 33 unique cities
During the 2018 cycle, the USMNT played in a wider variety of cities and locations. Other than four games in Carson, California for January camp, they repeated a location only eleven times.
Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA
Cycle 2014 – 43 home games – 29 unique cities
During the 2014 cycle, the USMNT repeated cities twelve times, but only two cities hosted more than two matches: Carson, California, where two of the three matches were for Camp Cupcake, and Kansas City, Kansas, which hosted three matches.
Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kansas
Cycle 2010 – 35 home games – 18 unique cities
In one of the leanest home schedules in recent cycles, the USMNT played in just 18 different cities, 11 of which hosted just one match. More than half of their home games were concentrated in four cities: Carson, California (7 games); Chicago, Illinois (5 games); and Foxborough, Massachusetts and Washington, DC (3 games each).
Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois
Cycle 2006 – 44 home games – 24 unique cities
The USMNT played eight games in Foxborough, Massachusetts – double the number in the next two cities, Columbus, Ohio and Miami, Florida, which each hosted four games. The team has particularly excelled in Foxborough, losing just once in the 22 games played there.
Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Cycle 2002 – 38 home games – 16 unique cities
During the 2002 cycle, California was clearly a favorite destination for the USMNT, hosting matches in five different cities across twelve matches. Foxborough, Massachusetts and Washington, DC also hosted five games each.
Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, CA
Cycle 1998 – 40 home games – 21 unique cities
Washington DC was the favorite city for the USMNT during the 1998 cycle, where six games were played. The USMNT would also play more than two games in Los Angeles, California (5 games), Foxborough, Massachusetts (4 games), and Pasadena, California (3 games), while only playing one game in twelve other cities.
RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
Long-term location strategy
While US Soccer prefers to have one location for most USMNT and USWNT matches, this would limit access for thousands of fans across the country. However, with the move to Georgia and the Arthur M. Blank US National Soccer Training Center The opening will take place in early 2026, ahead of the World Cup, and it is likely that future matches will focus on locations within three to four hours of Atlanta. We can expect the majority of games to continue to take place in around ten to twelve core cities.
#Maradona #Messi