In light of sold-out hotels and high demand for tickets across all 16 host cities of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, many destinations are working to find additional ways to spread fans out, rather than keeping everyone clustered around the soccer stadiums. One creative way to do that just launched from Visit Santa Clara, the marketing arm for the town of Santa Clara, where the San Francisco matches will actually be held. Knowing that fans from around the world will be descending on the region, it’s positioning its food scene as a major attraction — especially since the city’s diversity means countries from around the world are represented among its many restaurants.
Photo: Discover Santa Claraq
From Bibimbap to Tacos, Santa Clara Launches a Food Trail for World Cup Fans
For the host cities, the World Cup is an opportunity to share their cities with the world. And since many international travelers will stay well beyond game day, concepts like the Global Games Food Trail can help those travelers find other things to do once the stadium lights go dark.
Photo: Discover Santa Clara
Curated by local experts, the trail highlights dozens of locally owned restaurants representing cuisines from across Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Rather than creating pop-up events around the stadium or FIFA Fan Zone, it encourages visitors to venture into neighborhoods and actually see Santa Clara beyond Levi’s Stadium. “Don’t settle for stadium hot dogs,” reads the announcement, citing that Santa Clara is one of the most diverse food cities in the world. The website has an easy-to-use map, allowing visitors to plan visits around match schedules, hotel locations, and public transportation.
The 24 restaurants on the food trail aren’t necessarily the fanciest or most lauded in the city. Instead, they represent the variety available in Santa Clara, with many chefs hailing from countries that will be fielding teams in the 2026 World Cup. Visitors in need of a quick lunch can taste handmade dumplings and noodle soups at Taiwanese chain Bafang Dumpling (the first and only location in the Bay Area), while Korean restaurant Jang Su Jang serves up traditional dishes like bibimbap and marinated short ribs.
Fans of Team Mexico may want to hit up Puesto Santa Clara, with a modern twist on classic tacos, while travelers craving Italian may want to venture to Mio Vicino. It has more of a warm, neighborhood feel, and has been a go-to spot for classic Italian in the area since the early 1990s. The food trail also has some more casual stops, ideal for someone looking for a quick bite before or after the matches — after being in the sun during a late-June match, Rocko’s Ice Cream Tacos could be an essential stop.
Beyond listing participating restaurants, the Global Games Food Trail also has a digital passport program free for visitors. Travelers can check in at participating locations and earn rewards by visiting multiple restaurants throughout the city. The app is texted to visitors’ cell phones, with no app download required. Based on how many points visitors rack up, they can win everything from limited-edition socks to a free hotel stay.
While this is the first culinary trail program developed specifically with a World Cup focus, other host cities have similar themed food and drink trails. Kansas City has the KCK BBQ Trail, and Los Angeles has the LA Taco Trek (with some must-visit stops on the route). For World Cup-goers more interested in libations, you’ll find the Martini Trail in San Francisco, the Ballard Brewed pass in Seattle, and craft brewery trails in both Boston and Philadelphia. And if you’re in Dallas, don’t miss out on the Margarita Mile (rebranded as the “Merry Mile” over the holiday season). 