Where to Eat, Play, and Stay in San Francisco for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

The city’s soccer tradition dates back more than a century, started by the San Francisco Soccer Football League (SFSFL). It was founded in 1902 — making it older than FIFA itself — and is one of the oldest amateur leagues in the US. Like many major coastal cities, SF is incredibly diverse, and the city’s immigrant communities, including Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Irish, Russian, and many more, mirror the World Cup’s international spirit. Each nationality brings their own soccer traditions, making match days a global celebration. During the World Cup, this will likely be amplified more, when taquerias in the Mission, trattorias in North Beach, and pubs in the Haight become unofficial fan zones.

The San Francisco World Cup matches will be at Levi’s Stadium, and while it’s technically in Santa Clara, most guests will likely be staying in SF since it’s accessible on public transportation. (Take BART to Milpitas Station, the switch to the VTALight Rail to the Great America Station). SF also has far more to do for visitors than Santa Clara.

In summer 2026, the Bay Area will host six matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. That includes five group stage (first round) games on June 13, 16, 19, 22, and 25, 2026; and one round of 32 match on July 1, 2026. More information on games and ticketing will be available on the FIFA Bay Area World Cup page.

Here’s where to eat, stay, and play to make the most of your trip to San Francisco during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

We hope you love the spaces and stays we recommend for the FIFA World Cup! Just so you know, Matador may collect a small commission from the links on this page if you decide to book a stay.

Sporty things to do in San Francisco

SF is one of the most vibrant cities in the country, and one of the most friendly to tourists. Most visitors will want to hit highlights like walking through Chinatown, seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, and listening to the sea lions at Pier 39. But if you’re in the city for the San Francisco World Cup matches, the activities below have a slightly sportier slant.

Support a local team

SF doesn’t have an MLS team (yet!) but that doesn’t mean it’s without talent. Visitors can catch a San Francisco City Football Club, or SFCFC, match, at historic Kezar Stadium in Golden Gate Park. It’s a supporter-owned club that competes in USL League Two with extremely passionate fans. If you’re into catching a top-tier women’s soccer game, get tickets for a Bay FC match. It’s the Bay Area’s National Women’s Soccer League Team, and plays at PayPal Park in San Jose (about 45 minutes south of SF).

Depending on when you visit, however, you may be able to catch an MLS-affiliated game. In May 2025, SF Mayor Daniel Lurie announced that SF was getting a brand-new Major League Soccer Next Pro team (the league just one step below professional MLS). It’ll be called the Golden City Football Club, and they’ll play at a newly renovated Kezar Stadium — but no word yet on exactly when the team will arrive or renovations will be underway.

Tour Oracle Park

Overlooking the San Francisco Bay, Oracle Park is more than just the home of the Giants — it’s a central point for sports throughout the city. And if you’re a fan either of baseball, or of SF’s sporty history, you may want to take a behind-the-scenes tour at Oracle Park. Visitors get to see spaces typically reserved for players and press, including the dugout, field, and broadcast booth. There’s also a Giants Hall of Fame, telling the story of the team (which started in New York). Displays range from vintage uniforms to World Series trophies. It’s a worthwhile stop for sports fans or architecture buffs, especially as it’s often noted as one of the most scenic stadiums in Major League Baseball.

Hang out at a FIFA Fan Festival

FIFA World Cup organizers have announced that a priority of the 2026 World Cup is to make soccer available to all. And with that will come a series of continuation of the official FIFA Fan Festivals in each host city. The Bay Area will likely have a few throughout SF, Oakland, or San Jose, with large outdoor screens showing live matches, music and entertainment, soccer-themed games and outdoor things to do, and food and drink vendors. Exact sites haven’t been announced, but they’re usually in central locations that can accommodate large crowds. They’re free to attend, and can be a great place to hang out, whether you have tickets to any actual matches or not. More detailed programming on the Fan Festivals is expected to be announced by local organizers and FIFA in early 2026.

Try a new sport

Sure, the players on most of the World Cup teams may be in their 20s, but there are plenty of other sports with strong ties to San Francisco where the most famous athletes are in their 40s and beyond — looking at you, Tony Hawk. Skateboarding may not have been born in the Bay Area, but it has strong historical and cultural ties to it. The city’s steep hills have been a training ground for skateboarding legends, and tons of skate and skate culture brands are based in the Bay Area. So it may be fun to try something new by taking a skateboarding class in the city’s renowned Waller Skatepark in Golden Gate Park. Your teacher for the Airbnb experience, which is suitable very much for anyone of any age, is Karl Watson, a former pro skateboarder and founder of a skateboard company. Over two hours, he’ll teach you the basics, from balance to breaking to (eventually) sweet kick flips.

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Go for a city-view hike

You don’t have to be a pro soccer player to get in a workout in San Francisco, and there’s no better trail for getting in some gentle cardio than the pretty Lands End Trail. It’s a scenic coastal hike with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Marin Headlands just across the Bay. It’s only about 3.4 miles round trip, with an elevation gain of around 500 feet, making it accessible for most fitness levels. It’s well-maintained and hikable all year, going past interesting sites like the Sutro Baths ruins, Mile Rock Beach, and the USS San Francisco Memorial. The trail is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, but there’s no entrance fee.

The trail starts at the Lands End Lookout Visitor Center, reachable by public transportation on the Muni Bus Muni bus lines 38-Geary line (the 48th Ave stop).

Where to eat and drink during the SF World Cup matches

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San Francisco is loaded not just with sports bars, but with soccer bars. We asked a local soccer expert to recommend some of the best for watching the 2026 World Cup games in San Francisco for readers keen on fully soaking in the sports vibes. But with so many good options available, you’ll want to consider the bars below for watching the San Francisco World Cup games, too.

Danny Coyle’s

Danny Coyle’s opened on the first day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and is a cornerstone for soccer fans in the city. It has a central location (Haight and Pierce), but what truly makes it unbeatable for soccer is its role as the official home for multiple fan groups, including the Tottenham Hotspur (the first official West Coast club), Manchester United, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and the Seattle Sounders. All those teams will have multiple players fielding teams in 2026, so expect a lot of good-natured (and not-so-good natured) rivalry. Danny Coyle’s is packed for World Cup games, opening as early as 7 AM to accommodate international kickoffs and drawing crowds that fill the space with chants, scarves, and jerseys from around the world.

Dany Coyle’s: 668 Haight St, San Francisco, CA 94117

The Valley Tavern

For big crowds and a bigger beer list, head to The Valley Tavern. It’s in Noe Valley with a three-level beer garden and 17 flat-screen TVs indoors and out. The bar consistently draws large crowds for major tournaments, including the Women’s World Cup, creating a lively and exciting atmosphere to rivals any fan zone in the city. It also has more than three dozen beers on draft. Staff are known to accommodate requests for specific matches, and the bar’s own soccer team (“The Old Men of Noe Valley”) adds a grassroots connection and ensures the bar is always full of knowledgable players.

The Valley Tavern: 4054 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94114

Clara’s Junction

If you find yourself without tickets to the San Francisco World Cup games, there’s a chance you may be able to scalp a ticket if you stand outside the venue (and have a little extra luck that day). But those who can’t quite find a way into the stadium can still be in good company at Clara’s Junction, just a five-minute walk from Levi’s Stadium. It’s a mixed-use, indoor-outdoor space with a beer garden and more than 20 beers on tap, plus lawn games, fire pits, and even a taco truck. It hosts a tailgate party during every 49ers game, and you can bet it’ll be hosting parties when the World Cup matches are happening just down the street, too. It normally doesn’t open until 11 AM, but it makes exceptions to open three hours before kick-off on game days. So we wouldn’t be surprised to see it open early on match days, either.

Clara’s Junction: 2221 Tasman Dr, Santa Clara, CA 95054

Where to Stay for the San Francisco World Cup

The San Francisco World Cup matches will be at Levi’s Stadium, just south of the city in Santa Clara. That gives people traveling to the city lots of options for where to stay, whether you prefer to be in Santa Clara, in San Francisco, or just somewhere near public transportation.

Airbnb with outdoor movies near Levi’s Stadium

This rad two-bedroom Airbnb is in Santa Clara close to Levi’s Stadium, making it perfect for traveling couples or families who snagged tickets. And with a giant outdoor movie screen, you can watch the games for which you couldn’t snag tickets and still have the same al fresco feeling of being at the stadium. It’s an older home, but with a great price and ideal ratings from past travelers.

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Best of both worlds in Oakland

Visitors going to a San Francisco World Cup match who also want to spend a few days seeing the city may want to stay in Oakland. This three-bedroom, two-bath Airbnb is walking distance from a BART (public transportation) station, so you can easily head south to Levi’s Stadium, or head west and be in downtown San Francisco in about 10 minutes. This home also comes with a private garden and newly renovated kitchen for the nights where you’re staying in instead of exploring the region’s epic dining scene.

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Luxe Airbnb in the heart of SF

San Francisco has some of the coolest, most luxurious, and most unique Airbnbs in the world — after all, Airbnb started in San Francisco. If money is no object (which is it may be for travelers who already shelled out for World Cup tickets), you can’t beat this gorgeous, one-of-a-kind Airbnb smack in the middle of the city on Mount Sutro. It’s two stories and has gorgeous views, as well as tons of big TVs and projector screens for catching every match. It’s not cheap, but with five bedrooms, you can fill it with your soccer-loving friends and make the price per person a little more bearable.

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