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FIFA World Cup 2026 Travel Guide

Boston is set to be a key host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with six matches scheduled at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, about 22 miles southwest of downtown. The city is no stranger to major sporting events, from Red Sox World Series runs to the Boston Marathon, and its soccer roots run deeper than many realize. It was one of nine US cities to host World Cup matches in 1994 and is home to the New England Revolution, one of Major League Soccer’s original teams. The area’s international population, elite universities, and strong public transport system (anchored by the MBTA) helped secure its role as a 2026 host. And there’s no shortage of things to do for sports fans in Boston outside of the World Cup games. Gillette Stadium is known for its high capacity, state-of-the-art turf, and easy access from both Boston and Providence.

Here’s your guide to all things Boston World Cup.

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• About Gillette Stadium
• Tickets and matches
• Getting to Boston
• Getting around during the World Cup
• Details on the FIFA Fan Zone
• Hotels, soccer bars, and what else to do
• More about Boston

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Venue: Gillette Stadium

Gillette Stadium, tucked into Foxborough’s Patriot Place complex about 30 minutes from downtown Boston, is built for big-event chaos. It opened in 2002 as the shared home of the New England Patriots and the New England Revolution and is a venue that already knows how to move tens of thousands of avid fans through gates, concourses, and parking lots in a hurry. For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it’ll be branded “Boston Stadium.”

Fun fact: the stadium’s signature lighthouse isn’t just decoration. It’s actually a 22-story tower with a 360-degree observation deck open nearly every day, not just when games are happening.

The Boston World Cup Schedule

Boston will host six matches at Gillette Stadium during the tournament, including five group-stage games and one knockout round match.

• June 13, 2026 — Haiti vs. Scotland (Group C) — 9 PM ET
• June 16, 2026 — Intercontinental Playoff 2 Winner vs. Norway (Group I) — 6 PM ET
• June 19, 2026 — Scotland vs. Morocco (Group C) — 6 PM ET
• June 23, 2026 — England vs. Ghana (Group L) — 4 PM ET
• June 26, 2026 — Norway vs. France (Group I) — 3 PM ET
• June 29, 2026 — Round of 32 match — 4:30 PM ET
• July 9, 2026 — Quarterfinal match — 4 PM ET

For now, you can only buy tickets by winning one of the various FIFA World Cup Ticket lotteries. Public sales are expected to open in February or March 20 26, with Boston tickets are expected to start around $170. However, most of what will be available are Category 3 and 4 tickets, which will likely be more in the starting range of $300 to $400 per seat.

Getting to Boston

If you’re flying from afar, you’ll arrive at Boston Logan International Airport, which has nonstop service from plenty of major US cities, plus a solid roster of international routes. Once you land, you don’t have to rent a car just to get into the city: the MBTA’s Silver Line SL1 picks up at the terminals and runs straight to South Station and is free between the airport and downtown. You can also take the Blue Line, which can be a little quicker if you don’t mind taking a shuttle to reach it. You’ll jump on the Blue Line shuttle from the terminals to Airport Station, then ride the T into downtown. Rideshares and taxis are plentiful, too, but traffic can often make them much slower than taking public transportation.

If you’re coming from elsewhere in the Northeast, Amtrak can be the smartest move. Boston’s South Station is a major Amtrak hub, with frequent Northeast Regional departures running through cities like Providence, New York, and Washington, DC. Boston is also on the Acela route, offering a higher-end and faster ride between major cities. On the Acela, Boston is only 3.5 hours from downtown NYC, complete with Wi-Fi and lots more leg room than you’d have flying.

Coming from farther afield, the Lake Shore Limited links Boston with upstate New York and all the way to Chicago. If you’re coming down from northern New England, the Amtrak Downeaster connects Maine and New Hampshire to Boston.

How to get to Gillette Stadium from Downtown Boston

For major events at Gillette Stadium, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates dedicated special event trains from Boston’s South Station directly to Foxboro Station, which sits next to the stadium. When available, it’s typically the fastest and least stressful way to get to games, but it’s only offered during vents at the Stadium.

Round-trip tickets generally start around $20 and are purchased through the mTicket app; regular commuter rail passes are not accepeted on these event trains, so be sure to buy the special event fare. Outside of these dedicated departures, Foxboro has only limited commuter rail service.

If you’re driving, there’s plenty of parking around the stadium, but traffic can make arrival slow, especially close to kickoff. You can prepay for parking for about $50 in closer lots, or try nearby garages and private lots, though they often raise prices during big events. Rideshares are widely available in Boston, and Gillette Stadium operates a designated pickup and drop-off area, though post-match waits and high surge pricing are common.

The official Fan Zone for the Boston World Cup

As of now, the official location for Boston’s FIFA Fan Festival during the 2026 World Cup hasn’t been made public, though potential sites under consideration include Boston Common and City Hall Plaza. The festival is expected to run from June 11 to July 19, 2026 and show all World Cup games, with free public viewing, live entertainment, food vendors, and cultural programming. The official announcement will be available online on the Boston World Cup website. It’s an announcement likely to be made very soon, with most host cities already publicly sharing plans for their own Fan Fests.

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