# United States 2022 FIFA World Cup bid

The United States Soccer Federation submitted a bid with the hope of hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. U.S. Soccer first said in February 2007 that it would put forth a bid for the 2018 World Cup. On January 28, 2009, U.S. Soccer announced that it would submit bids for both the 2018 and 2022 Cups. In October 2010 it withdrew from the 2018 bid process to focus on winning the 2022 edition. On December 2, 2010, it was announced that Qatar would be the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
David Downs, president of Univision Sports, was executive director of the bid. The United States previously hosted the FIFA World Cup in 1994, as well as the FIFA Women's World Cup in 1999 and 2003.

## Schedule

| Date | Notes |
| January 15, 2009 | Applications formally invited |
| February 2, 2009 | Closing date for registering intention to bid |
| March 16, 2009 | Deadline to submit completed bid registration forms |
| May 14, 2010 | Deadline for submission of full details of bid |
| September 6–9, 2010 | Inspection committee visits the United States |
| December 2, 2010 | FIFA to appoint hosts for 2018 and 2022 World Cups |

## Bid committee

The American bid was being organized by USA Bid Committee, Inc.
The executive director of the bid was David Downs, CEO of Univision sports. Other members include U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber, Phil Murphy, the former national finance chair for the Democratic National Committee, former U.S. Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clinton adviser Douglas Band, film director Spike Lee, former boxer Oscar De La Hoya, and Washington Post.

## Details of the bid

In April 2009, the U.S. identified 70 stadiums in 50 communities as possible venues for the tournament, with 58 confirming their interest. The list of stadiums was trimmed two months later to 38 existing venues, one scheduled for completion in 2010, and one proposed venue. On August 20, 2009, the list was further trimmed down to 32 stadiums in 27 cities. On January 12, 2010, the USA Bid Committee narrowed the 27 cities down to 18 as the official host cities for the United States' Bid for the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
Those 18 cities were: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, Tampa and Washington, D.C. The 18 stadiums selected host NFL or NCAA American football games, with a capacity over 65,000 spectators. No soccer-specific stadium was selected, since none in the country has capacity for more than 30,000 spectators.

### Candidate venues

| Stadium | Capacity | City | State | Surface | Home teams | Notes |
| Rose Bowl | 94,542 | Pasadena (Host City: Los Angeles) | California | Grass | UCLA Bruins† Rose Bowl Game | 1994 World Cup final venue 1999 Women's World Cup final venue CONCACAF Gold Cup venue Super Bowl XI, Super Bowl XIV, Super Bowl XVII, Super Bowl XXI, and Super Bowl XXVII Hosts Three BCS National Championship Games May be superseded by SoFi Stadium |
| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | 93,607 | Los Angeles | California | Grass | USC Trojans† | 1932 and 1984 Olympic stadium CONCACAF Gold Cup venue Super Bowl I and Super Bowl VII host 1959 World Series May be superseded by SoFi Stadium |
| AT&T Stadium * | 91,600 | Arlington (Host City: Dallas) | Texas | Matrix artificial turf | Cowboys Classic Dallas Cowboys† Cotton Bowl Classic Southwest Classic | Opened in 2009 Retractable roof CONCACAF Gold Cup venue 2010 NBA All-Star Game venue Super Bowl XLV in 2011 Wrestlemania 32 in 2016 |
| FedExField | 91,704 | Landover (Host City: Washington, D.C.) | Maryland | Grass | Washington Redskins† | 1999 Women's World Cup venue |
| MetLife Stadium * | 82,566 | East Rutherford (Host City: New York City) | New Jersey | FieldTurf | New York Giants† New York Jets† | Opened in 2010 Hosted Super Bowl XLVIII Wrestlemania XXIX |
| Sun Life Stadium * | 80,240 | Miami Gardens (Host City: Miami) | Florida | Grass | Miami Dolphins† Miami Hurricanes† Orange Bowl | Multi-purpose stadium Marlins moved to their new ballpark and it was also host to WWE's WrestleMania XXVIII in 2012 Super Bowl XXIII, Super Bowl XXIX, Super Bowl XXXIII, Super Bowl XLI, and Super Bowl XLIV hosts Three BCS National Championship Games |
| Reliant Stadium * | 76,000 | Houston | Texas | Grass | Houston Texans† Texas Bowl | CONCACAF Gold Cup venue, 2010 MLS All-Star Game host, WrestleMania XXV hosts, NCAA Final Four 2011 & 2016 host, Super Bowl XXXVIII host, Retractable roof |
| Arrowhead Stadium * | 75,364 | Kansas City | Missouri | Grass | Kansas City Chiefs† | |
| Invesco Field at Mile High | 75,165 | Denver | Colorado | Grass | Denver Broncos† | 2008 Democratic National Convention Host 2006 National Football League AFC Championship Game |
| Raymond James Stadium | 75,000 | Tampa | Florida | Grass | Tampa Bay Buccaneers† South Florida Bulls† Outback Bowl | Olympic qualifying venue. Super Bowl XXXV and Super Bowl XLIII hosts WrestleMania 36 original host |
| Gillette Stadium * | 73,393 | Foxborough (Host City: Boston) | Massachusetts | FieldTurf | New England Patriots† New England Revolution | NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship in 2008 and 2009, 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup venue, and the MLS Cup 2002 |
| Husky Stadium | 72,500 | Seattle | Washington | FieldTurf | Washington Huskies† | Renovation completed in 2013. Track was removed but capacity decreased from 72,500 to 70,138. 1990 Goodwill Games track and field events. |
| University of Phoenix Stadium | 71,362 | Glendale (Host City: Phoenix) | Arizona | Grass | Arizona Cardinals† Fiesta Bowl | Retractable roof and playing surface CONCACAF Gold Cup venue Super Bowl XLII hosts WrestleMania XXVI hosts Three BCS National Championship Games |
| Georgia Dome | 71,228 | Atlanta | Georgia | FieldTurf & able to install grass. | Atlanta Falcons† Georgia State Panthers† Chick-fil-A Bowl | Indoor stadium Super Bowl XXXIV & Super Bowl XXVIII hosts World Football Challenge hosts Indoor Stadium, DCI Atlanta Southeastern Championship 1996 Summer Olympics World Football Challenge WrestleMania XXVII hosts Demolished in 2017 following the opening of Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
| M&T Bank Stadium | 71,008 | Baltimore | Maryland | Sportexe Momentum Turf | Baltimore Ravens† | Only stadium to sell out their World Football Challenge game |
| Lincoln Financial Field * | 69,111 | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | Grass | Philadelphia Eagles† Temple Owls† Army-Navy Game | 2003 Women's World Cup venue CONCACAF Gold Cup venue. |
| LP Field | 69,143 | Nashville | Tennessee | Grass | Tennessee Titans† Tennessee State Tigers† Music City Bowl | Olympic qualifying venue |
| CenturyLink Field * | 68,056 | Seattle | Washington | FieldTurf | Seattle Seahawks† Seattle Sounders FC | CONCACAF Gold Cup venue MLS Cup 2009 venue, Highest home attendance in MLS |
| Qualcomm Stadium | 67,700 | San Diego | California | Grass | San Diego Chargers† Holiday Bowl Poinsettia Bowl | CONCACAF Gold Cup venue Super Bowl XXII, Super Bowl XXXII, and Super Bowl XXXVII Hosts Demolished in 2021 and replaced by Snapdragon Stadium |
| Lucas Oil Stadium | 66,500 | Indianapolis | Indiana | FieldTurf | Indianapolis Colts† | Built in 2008 Retractable roof Super Bowl XLVI in 2012, NCAA men's basketball Final Four in 2010 and 2015, NCAA women's basketball Final Four in 2016, DCI World Championship Finals Since 2009 NCAA men's basketball final in 2021 |
* * – Stadium that would go on to be used in the 2026 FIFA World Cup
* † – American football team.
* Although sponsored stadium names are listed in this article, they were not used in the actual bid documents, and would not be used during the World Cup. FIFA controls all naming rights related to the World Cup, and generally prohibits the use of such names. Even stadiums that bear the names of FIFA sponsors are subject to this restriction—the venue then known commercially as Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg was known by its non-commercial name of Ellis Park Stadium during the 2010 World Cup, even though The Coca-Cola Company is one of FIFA's main sponsors.
* Capacities listed are estimated capacity for the FIFA World Cup.

### Rejected venues

The following venues were considered as possible candidate venues but were not chosen to be included in the final bid.
| Stadium | Capacity | City | State | Surface | Home teams | Notes |
| Michigan Stadium | 109,901 | Ann Arbor | Michigan | Artificial | Michigan Wolverines† | Largest non-motorsports stadium in the country, and third-largest non-racing stadium in the world. |
| Jacksonville Municipal Stadium | 77,000 | Jacksonville | Florida | Grass | Jacksonville Jaguars† Gator Bowl | Super Bowl XXXIX hosts |
| Bank of America Stadium | 73,500 | Charlotte | North Carolina | Grass | Carolina Panthers† Belk Bowl ACC Championship Game | 1999 and 2000 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship venue, 2014 and 2015 International Champions Cup, 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| Cleveland Browns Stadium | 73,200 | Cleveland | Ohio | Grass | Cleveland Browns† | Hosted International Matches |
| Edward Jones Dome | 67,268 | St. Louis | Missouri | FieldTurf | St. Louis Rams | Indoor stadium |
| Ford Field | 67,188 | Detroit | Michigan | FieldTurf | Detroit Lions† Little Caesars Pizza Bowl | Super Bowl XL hosts WrestleMania 23 hosts Indoor stadium |
| Citrus Bowl | 65,616 | Orlando | Florida | Grass | Florida Tuskers† Capital One Bowl Champs Sports Bowl | 1994 FIFA World Cup, 1996 Olympics and WrestleMania XXIV venue. |
| O.co Coliseum | 63,026 | Oakland | California | Grass | Oakland Raiders† Oakland A's‡ | Multi-purpose stadium. |
| Soldier Field | 61,000 | Chicago | Illinois | Grass | Chicago Bears† | 1994 FIFA World Cup venue. |
| Stanford Stadium | 50,500 | Palo Alto | California | Grass | Stanford Cardinal† | Rebuilt 1984 Olympics, 1994 FIFA World Cup and 1999 Women's World Cup venue |
| RFK Stadium | 45,600 | Washington | District of Columbia | Grass | D.C. United EagleBank Bowl | 1994 FIFA World Cup and 1996 Olympics venue |
* ↑ Now known as TIAA Bank Field.
* ↑ Now known as FirstEnergy Stadium.
* ↑ Now known as The Dome at America's Center.
* ↑ The Rams returned to their previous home of Los Angeles after the 2015 NFL season, and the stadium has had no major sports tenant since then.
* ↑ The Little Caesars Pizza Bowl folded after its 2013 edition and was replaced by the Quick Lane Bowl, also held at Ford Field.
* ↑ Now known as Camping World Stadium.
* ↑ Now known as the Citrus Bowl.
* ↑ Now known as the Camping World Bowl.
* ↑ Now known by its historic name of Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum.
* ↑ D.C. United moved to Audi Field, also in Washington, in 2018.
* ↑ Now known as the Military Bowl, and played at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland since 2013.

#### August 2009 cut

The following stadiums were eliminated in an earlier cut in August 2009
| Stadium | Capacity | City | State | Surface | Home teams | Events Hosted |
| Legion Field | 71,594 | Birmingham | Alabama | Artificial | UAB Blazers† Papajohns.com Bowl | 1996 Olympics |
| Ohio Stadium | 102,329 | Columbus | Ohio | Artificial | Ohio State Buckeyes† | On National Register of Historic Places |
| Neyland Stadium | 102,455 | Knoxville | Tennessee | Grass | Tennessee Volunteers† | Ranked as America's No. 1 college football stadium by The Sporting News in 2001 |
| Metrodome | 64,111 | Minneapolis | Minnesota | Artificial | Minnesota Vikings† | 1985 MLB All-Star Game Super Bowl XXVI 1992 and 2001 Final Four 1987 and 1991 World Series venue. Demolished in 2014 and replaced on-site in 2016 by U.S. Bank Stadium. |
| TCF Bank Stadium | 50,805 | Minneapolis | Minnesota | Artificial | Minnesota Golden Gophers† | One of three new Minneapolis stadiums (along with Target Field and U.S. Bank Stadium) |
| Sun Devil Stadium | 73,379 | Tempe | Arizona | Grass | Arizona State Sun Devils† Insight Bowl | Super Bowl XXX former Fiesta Bowl venue |
| Heinz Field | 65,050 | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | Grass | Pittsburgh Steelers† Pittsburgh Panthers† | 2011 NHL Winter Classic |
| Rice-Eccles Stadium | 45,017 | Salt Lake City | Utah | Artificial | Utah Utes† | 2002 Winter Olympics opening/closing venue |
| Alamodome | 65,000 | San Antonio | Texas | Artificial | Alamo Bowl Later became home to UTSA Roadrunners† | 1998, 2004 and 2008 Final Four venue U.S. Army All-American Bowl |
| Las Vegas Stadium | Proposed | Las Vegas | Nevada | Proposed | None | Proposed |
* ↑ Now known as the Birmingham Bowl.
* ↑ TCF Bank Stadium also went on to serve as home of Minnesota United FC during that team's first two seasons in Major League Soccer (2017–2018).
* ↑ Now known as the Cactus Bowl, and since 2016 played at Chase Field in Phoenix.
* ↑ The stadium project ultimately materialized in the mid-2010s, with construction starting in late 2017. The stadium will be home to the relocated Oakland Raiders and the UNLV Rebels football team.

#### June 2009 cut

The following stadiums were eliminated in an earlier cut in June 2009
| Stadium | Capacity | City | State | Surface | Home teams | Events Hosted |
| California Memorial Stadium | 71,799 | Berkeley | California | Artificial | California Golden Bears† |
| Ralph Wilson Stadium | 73,079 | Orchard Park | New York | Artificial | Buffalo Bills† | 2008 NHL Winter Classic |
| Memorial Stadium (Champaign) | 62,870 | Champaign | Illinois | Artificial | Illinois Fighting Illini† | Hone of the Chicago Bears in 2002 while Soldier Field was being renovated |
| Paul Brown Stadium | 65,515 | Cincinnati | Ohio | Artificial | Cincinnati Bengals† | Proposed for use in the 2026 World Cup bid |
| Memorial Stadium (Clemson) | 81,500 | Clemson | South Carolina | Grass | Clemson Tigers† | Home of Carolina Panthers in their inaugural 1995 season |
| Faurot Field | 71,004 | Columbia | Missouri | Artificial | Missouri Tigers† | Third-largest sports facility by seating capacity in the state of Missouri, behind The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. |
| Williams-Brice Stadium | 80,250 | Columbia | South Carolina | Grass | South Carolina Gamecocks† | In 1987, Pope John Paul II, during a Papal visit to Columbia, spoke in front of 60,000 people at the stadium. |
| Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium | 72,000 | Fayetteville | Arkansas | Grass | Arkansas Razorbacks† |
| Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | 88,548 | Gainesville | Florida | Grass | Florida Gators† | 1973 Tangerine Bowl and 1994 Gator Bowl venue |
| Lambeau Field | 72,928 | Green Bay | Wisconsin | Grass | Green Bay Packers† | Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic |
| Rice Stadium | 70,000 | Houston | Texas | Artificial | Rice Owls† | Bluebonnet Bowl 1959-1967, 1985-1986 Houston Oilers 1965-1967 Super Bowl VIII |
| Kinnick Stadium | 70,585 | Iowa City | Iowa | Artificial | Iowa Hawkeyes† |
| Camp Randall Stadium | 80,321 | Madison | Wisconsin | Artificial | Wisconsin Badgers† | Culver's Camp Randall Hockey Classic 12 Green Bay Packers exhibition games |
| Commonwealth Stadium | 67,942 | Lexington | Kentucky | Grass | Kentucky Wildcats† |

#### Denied interest in hosting

* Sanford Stadium, Athens, Georgia; 1996 Summer Olympics soccer venue
* Jordan–Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama
* Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas
* Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
* Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, Virginia
* Kyle Field, College Station, Texas
* Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan
* Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
* LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, Utah
* Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, Indiana
* Beaver Stadium, State College, Pennsylvania
* Bryant–Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

## Official bid partners

* Fox Soccer Channel
* AT&T
* American Airlines
* The Walt Disney Company
* Chevron Corporation
* Kohl's
* Subway Restaurants