Designed by Matt Welch / GBH; image credit iStock.com / master1305
Boston is one of 16 cities across North America hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Massachusetts officials expect the seven games played at Gillette Stadium — renamed Boston Stadium for the monthlong event — will bring as many two million soccer fans to the region.
From the nitty-gritty logistics of traveling to the stadium to how local Haitian and Brazilian communities are cheering on their teams, GBH News is following the people — and problems — involved with putting on the world’s biggest sports tournament.
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‘We’re having a party!’: Inside a school bus with Scottish soccer fans headed to the World Cup
Faced with the high cost of transportation to the soccer tournament, Scotland's Tartan Army rented “every single yellow school bus” in the region to get to Foxborough to see their team play Haiti. -
Haiti loses to Scotland in first big weekend of World Cup games in Mass.
Haiti had made its first and only other appearance in the men’s World Cup back in 1974. -
Photos from the US team victory in first World Cup match
The U.S. team earned a 4-1 win over Paraguay in Inglewood, California, matching the biggest World Cup victory by an American squad ever. Here are photos from the match. -
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World Cup fans: Here’s what to do in and around Boston other than watch soccer
For those who didn’t manage to snag arena tickets, or are simply look for different events across Boston, here’s our guide to some museums, quirky stops, and Sail Boston events to keep you entertained whether you are just visiting Boston, or are a full-time resident. -
A monument on Boston Common hides the city’s ties to soccer
As Boston hosts seven FIFA World Cup games over the next two months, some sports historians say the city’s historical connections to soccer are often overlooked. -
‘We want to show that ... we’re fun, too’: Mass. bar, restaurant owners cheer 3 a.m. closing time
Legislation signed by Gov. Maura Healey allows bars to serve alcohol an hour later, and also lets cities and towns establish designated public alcohol consumption “districts” through July 31. -
Cape Verdeans at Dorchester Day Parade pumped for another celebration: A first-ever World Cup run
Boston’s annual celebration is a draw for Cape Verdeans all over Eastern Massachusetts, and the international soccer tournament set to begin this week was on everyone’s minds. -
‘We feel it in our pores’: Latinos around East Boston are hyped for the World Cup
Local immigrants from Peru, Colombia and across Latin America are excited about the joy the FIFA World Cup will bring after a tough year of immigration enforcement. -
Advisory warns visitors of immigration constraints ahead of World Cup
Groups say surveillance, human rights, and entry are all in question, especially at airports