18 January 2024 , 09:03
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The final of the 2026 World Cup could be the first played indoors, it has been claimed.
Following the winter tournament in Qatar in 2022, the international competition will return to its usual summer slot. The United States, Canada and Mexico will all host games, with the US holding the final.
Now, according to The Sun, the AT&T Stadium in Texas has won the race to hold the final. The decision was reportedly made following a meeting in London, with New York's MetLife Stadium missing out.
The Arlington-based arena, home to the Dallas Cowboys, has a retractable roof. This would allow the final to be played in an indoor setting, something which has yet to happen in the history of the showpiece game.
While predominantly an NFL venue, the AT&T Stadium has played host to football matches in the past.
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It was among the host venues for the CONCACAF Gold Cup on multiple occasions, most recently in 2023. It was the venue for two quarter-finals - Panama's victory over Qatar and Mexico's 2-0 win against Costa Rica - though the final of the tournament took place in Inglewood.
The 2026 World Cup will be the first 48-team edition of the tournament, with more specifics expected to be announced soon. However, FIFA has come in for criticism for elements of its approach to a number of elements.
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The AT&T Stadium is predominantly used for NFL games (Amanda McCoy / Avalon)“I’d like to see FIFA worry more about climate change,” former England striker Gary Lineker told BBC Sport. “With the World Cup coming up, you can see certain problems ahead. There’s a lot of travel between three countries – three countries which are spread over an enormous area as well.
“With temperatures soaring around the world as well, it’s going to be really difficult because it’s in the middle of summer and it’s in the northern hemisphere. It’s going to be very hot in parts.
"We’ve seen wildfires causing problems, massively high temperatures in places that perhaps wouldn’t normally do that. In the next World Cup, if they’re playing in temperatures higher than 40 degrees it makes things incredibly difficult.”
A FIFA spokesperson told Mirror Football the organisation plans to release a sustainability strategy for the tournament in early 2023. “FIFA is fully aware that climate change is one of the most pressing challenges of our time and believes it requires each of us to take immediate and sustainable climate action," they said.
“FIFA is also fully aware of the impacts that mega-events have on the economy, the natural environment and on people and communities, and has been making substantial efforts to tackle those impacts and, at the same time, to use opportunities to maximise the positive effects of its most iconic tournament."