The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be staged across 16 venues in the United States, Canada and Mexico, with several stadiums temporarily renamed by FIFA because their commercial naming-rights sponsors are not official tournament partners, reports The Associated Press.

The tournament, jointly hosted by the three North American nations, will feature matches at some of the continent's most iconic sports venues.

MetLife Stadium (New York New Jersey Stadium), East Rutherford, New Jersey
With a capacity of 80,663, MetLife Stadium will host the World Cup final on July 19. Home to the NFL’s New York Giants and New York Jets, the venue opened in 2010 and replaced Giants Stadium, which hosted matches during the 1994 World Cup.

Estadio Azteca (Estadio Ciudad de México), Mexico City
The historic 80,824-seat stadium will stage the opening match of the tournament. Opened in 1966, it previously hosted the World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986, becoming the first stadium to host two World Cup finals.

AT&T Stadium (Dallas Stadium), Arlington, Texas
The 70,649-capacity retractable-roof stadium will host nine matches, including a semifinal. Opened in 2009, it is home to the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and is widely known as "Jerry's World."

SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles Stadium), Inglewood, CaliforniaWith a capacity of 70,492, SoFi Stadium will host eight matches, including a quarterfinal. Opened in 2020, it serves as the home of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.

Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Stadium), Kansas City, Missouri
The 69,045-seat venue will stage six matches, including a quarterfinal. Opened in 1972, it is renowned for holding the Guinness World Record for the loudest outdoor sports crowd.

NRG Stadium (Houston Stadium), Houston, Texas
NRG Stadium, with a capacity of 68,777, will host seven matches. The retractable-roof facility opened in 2002 and is home to the NFL’s Houston Texans.

Levi's Stadium (San Francisco Bay Area Stadium), Santa Clara, California
Home of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers, the 68,827-capacity stadium will host six matches. It is the only US venue not scheduled to host a match beyond the round of 32.

Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia Stadium), Philadelphia
The 68,324-seat stadium will host six matches, including a round-of-16 fixture on July 4. Opened in 2003, it serves as the home of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta Stadium), Atlanta
The 68,239-capacity retractable-roof venue will stage eight matches, including a semifinal. It is home to both the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and MLS club Atlanta United.

Lumen Field (Seattle Stadium), Seattle
Lumen Field, home to the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and MLS’s Seattle Sounders, has a capacity of 66,925 and will host six matches.

Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Stadium), Miami Gardens, Florida
The 64,478-seat venue will host seven matches, including the third-place playoff. It is home to the NFL's Miami Dolphins and has previously hosted six Super Bowls.

Gillette Stadium (Boston Stadium), Foxborough, Massachusetts
Located near Boston, the 64,146-capacity stadium will stage seven matches, including a quarterfinal. It is home to the NFL's New England Patriots and MLS's New England Revolution.

Estadio BBVA (Estadio Monterrey), Monterrey, Mexico
The 51,243-seat stadium will host four matches. Opened in 2015, it is home to Mexican club Monterrey and is known for its striking view of the Cerro de la Silla mountain range.

B.C. Place (B.C. Place Vancouver), Vancouver, Canada
With a capacity of 52,497, B.C. Place will host seven matches, including a round-of-16 game. The stadium also hosted events during the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.

BMO Field (Toronto Stadium), Toronto, Canada
Expanded to 43,036 seats for the World Cup, BMO Field will host six matches. It serves as the home of Toronto FC and the CFL's Toronto Argonauts.

Estadio Akron (Estadio Guadalajara), Guadalajara, Mexico
Home to Mexican club Chivas, the stadium opened in 2010 and will host four group-stage matches during the tournament.

The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in the tournament's history, featuring 48 teams and matches spread across three countries, with venues ranging from historic stadiums such as Estadio Azteca to modern facilities like SoFi Stadium and Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

END/AP

Bangladeshi wicketkeeper-batter Mushfiqur Rahim is set to feature for Fortune Barishal in the forthcoming Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Mushfiqur had played for Sylhet Strikers in the last edition. His price was fixed at 80 lakhs in the players' draft according to the category. Which means he was in 'A' category.

The top category player will play along with other star players like Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, and Khaled Ahmed in Fortune Barishal.

Neymar said he was relishing “new challenges and opportunities in new places” after he joined Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal Tuesday, becoming the latest big name lured to the oil-rich Gulf state.

The Brazil forward, 31, ends a six-year stay in the French capital and follows in the footsteps of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane in swapping Europe for the Middle East.

“I have achieved a lot in Europe and enjoyed special times, but I have always wanted to be a global player and test myself with new challenges and opportunities in new places,” Neymar said in a statement from the Saudi Pro League.

“I want to write new sporting history, and the Saudi Pro League has tremendous energy and quality players at the moment,” he added.

Neymar was “in negotiations” on Sunday to become the latest football superstar to decamp for Saudi Arabia, leaving Paris Saint-Germain just as Kylian Mbappe was brought back in from the cold by the French champions.

A source close to PSG told AFP that 31-year-old Neymar “no longer figures in the club or manager’s plans” with the Brazilian immediately linked to Al-Hilal in the Gulf kingdom.

Another source in Saudi Arabia said that “direct negotiations” between Neymar’s agents and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) were ongoing.