The biggest soccer event in the world could be coming to Boston in the next decade.

The United Bid Committee announced this week that 32 cities across North America are being considered to serve as the Official Host City for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Boston is among them.

The committee is eyeing 25 cities in the U.S., three in Mexico and four in Canada, according to a statement.

Having the World Cup in Boston -- or the other cities on the list -- could help boom soccer's popularity in North America, officials said.

"As we move to the next stage of the bid process, we're even more confident we have everything needed to deliver the largest, most compelling FIFA World Cup in history and help accelerate the growth of soccer across North America and around the world," said United Bid Chairman Sunil Gulati.

In the next stage of the bidding process, the committee will look at the 32 possible host cities and work with local officials to finalize hosting documents required by FIFA.

Representatives for the cities will travel to Houston during the week of Nov. 13 for a session with the United Bid Committee.

"We have a vision for growing the game and engaging fans as never before. Our biggest challenge will be finding ways to honor the enthusiasm of all the people across Canada, Mexico and the United States through the development of our united hosting concept," Gulati said.

Factors considered by the committee include city profile, stadium and support facilities, like training sites and hotels, as well as services like transportation, the statement said.

The potential host cities also reflect the "vast geographic and cultural diversity of North America and share a commitment to using the once-in-a-generation opportunity" to host the World Cup.

"We received applications from 41 cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States and narrowed the list after a comprehensive review of each of the communities and facilities. The 32 cities that we have identified as potential host cities, on their own and together, are prepared to welcome soccer fans from around the world. They are more than capable of helping fulfill the shared vision and ambition of FIFA and the United Bid in shaping the future of soccer in North America," said John Kristick, the executive director of the United Bid Committee.

The committee also considered ways each city could contribute to a united hosting strategy for the World Cup, including contributions to the development of the sport during the build-up to the tournament.

"While not every city will move forward as a potential host city, we were so impressed by all the applicants that we will continue to engage with all the cities as part of our hosting strategy and we will welcome the opportunity to work with FIFA to further expand our hosting concept to ensure the broadest possible impact for this spectacular event," Kristick said.

The cities being considered are:

Canada

Edmonton, Alberta

Montreal, Quebec

Toronto, Ontario

Vancouver, British Columbia

Mexico

Guadalajara, Jalisco

Mexico City, Mexico

Monterrey, Nuevo Leon

United States

Atlanta, Georgia

Baltimore, Maryland

Boston, Massachusetts

Charlotte, North Carolina

Cincinnati, Ohio

Chicago, Illinois

Dallas, Texas

Denver, Colorado

Detroit, Michigan

Houston, Texas

Kansas City, Missouri

Las Vegas, Nevada

Los Angeles, California

Miami, Florida

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Nashville, Tennessee

New York/New Jersey

Orlando, Florida

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Phoenix, Arizona

Salt Lake City, Utah

San Francisco Bay Area

Seattle, Washington

Tampa, Florida

Washington, DC