We have just begun the decade of sports in North America

North America’s “mega decade of sports” is just around the corner.

Over the next ten years, five major sporting events will take place in the United States, including two Olympic games and the FIFA World Cup.

The economic impact of hosting these major events is significant: cities experience a boost in tourism, jobs are created and their “global profile” is enhanced, among countless other benefits. According to a report compiled for the FIFA World CupThe county of Los Angeles alone expects an economic benefit of $594 million from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, in which eight games will be played in Los Angeles. And that is two years before the City of Angels hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Here's a look at the major sporting events taking place in the United States over the next decade:

FIFA World Cup 2026

The 23rd FIFA World Cup will include 104 matches at 16 venues in the following cities in Canada, Mexico and the USA: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Guadalajara, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Monterrey, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Toronto and Vancouver.

The final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be played on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

RELATED: FIFA World Cup 2026: Match schedule and World Cup final stadium announced

The 39-day tournament begins on June 11, 2026.

Los Angeles Games 2028

The 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles begins on July 14 of the same year with a grand opening ceremony split between the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Exposition Park and the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

RELATED: Five sports you'll see at the Los Angeles Olympics that weren't in Paris

This is the third time that Los Angeles has hosted the Games, after 1932 and 1984. The city had originally bid to host the 2024 Games, but was awarded the 2028 Olympic Games in a unique compromise deal, which were to take place in Paris in 2024.

Following the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games will take place from August 15, 2028.

Men's Rugby World Cup (2031)

The biggest rugby tournament is finally coming to the USA.

The Rugby World Cup will be held in the USA for the first time in 2031. The men's tournament will take place there, and the women's tournament will take place two years later.

It is rugby's biggest attempt to break into the wider American sporting consciousness and tap into what World Rugby – the sport's international governing body – sees as an area of ​​untapped potential, both commercially and sportingly.

The host cities have not yet been selected.

Women's Rugby World Cup (2033)

USA Rugby's vision is to host “coast-to-coast” matches for both the men's and women's Rugby World Cups. There are around 25 bids for host venues, including from the NFL and Major League Soccer – and significant investments have been made in the domestic Major League Rugby to ensure the US Eagles are a competitive team in time for 2031.

USA Rugby already has some experience. The Rugby World Cup Sevens at the San Francisco Giants baseball stadium in July 2018 attracted more than 100,000 spectators over three days and achieved decent ratings on NBC in the USA.

The Rugby World Cup takes place in September and October, when America is already glued to the NFL and college football, the Major League Baseball championship races and playoffs, and the start of the NBA and NHL.

The host cities have not yet been selected.

2034 Winter Olympics

The International Olympic Committee elected Salt Lake City for the 2034 Games a decade in advance. Salt Lake City is hosting the Winter Olympics for the second time – the Winter Olympics were already held there in 2002.

READ MORE: Paris Olympics medal table: The USA had the most, but which country won the most gold medals?

The early decision gives the IOC a trusted partner in the face of changing weather conditions – the IOC's options for hosting Winter Games are becoming increasingly limited. Only 15 countries on three continents currently meet the criteria of having at least 80% of existing venues for winter sports and a “climate-sustainable” prospect of hosting events in the coming decades.