2026 World Cup comes to Boston: Everything you need to know right now

The world's biggest sports tournament comes to New England this summer. Boston plays host to World Cup matches in June and July, showcasing several top teams along the way.

The city is one of 16 host locations across the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Anyone lucky enough to snag an astronomically priced ticket will see the best soccer players on Earth vie for glory.

The tournament kicks off in Mexico City on June 11 at 3 p.m. (all times Eastern).

Play in Boston begins two days later when Haiti faces Scotland at Gillette Stadium, which World Cup organizers bafflingly call "Boston Stadium."

Who else is playing? How can you get to the games? What if you don't want to pay the price of a used compact car for a ticket to a match? Below we provide answers to those questions and more as you prepare to watch the world's favorite sport at its highest level.

At least seven different national teams will play in Gillette. That includes three of FIFA's top 10 sides: England, France and Morocco.

If you visit FIFA's official World Cup website, it says games will be played at "Boston Stadium."

We wish.

Boston will host games played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, which is famously not in Boston. You have two main options to make the 25-mile trek: Catch an MBTA Commuter Rail train to Foxboro Station or sit in traffic.

The games might be in Foxborough, but you can get more details below on what to see if you're visiting Greater Boston.

Fox owns the American rights to broadcast the World Cup, and the plan to go big with it. Most matches (70 in total) will air on the Fox network, with the other 34 on FS1, its sort of ESPN analog.

You can also stream the games on several Fox-y platforms.

Get your scarves ready! If you can't snag a ticket to a game, you can head to City Hall Plaza in Boston for the official Fan Festival. The exact dates are still up in the air, but the event will offer food, music and of course giant screens for group viewings. Organizers said the "goal" is to make the fest free.

But the fun won't be limited to Government Center. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the city is buffing up its neighborhood block party program for the World Cup and American 250 celebration. We'll update here once the official (and maybe a few unofficial) events are announced.

If you're interested in a more organic live experience, there are a ton of pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes that regularly show soccer matches. Many of these spots are loyal to a particular team, but they're sure to show marquee World Cup matchups.

Yes, this is the biggest sporting event in the world. And yes, the U.S. has a team and high hopes of making it out of the group stage (aka the first round of the tournament).

But if your fandom only goes as far as New England, you have one guy to root for this tournament: Arlington's Miles Robinson, a defender who plays for Major League Soccer's Cincinnati FC. Robinson, who turns 29 in March, has played 38 games for the national team.

A lot! Boston is the biggest city in New England and chock full of history, art, cuisine and culture. You can learn more about the cradle of American democracy by exploring WBUR's Field Guide to Boston.

Boston is a walkable place with amazing neighborhoods, tons of sights, eats and things to do. Walking even a mile will take you through several city neighborhoods. For longer trips, the city also has the oldest public transit system in the U.S., which makes getting from place to place a snap.

It can be natural to feel a little constrained to one location when you're visiting or vacationing, but New England is a compact region filled with spectacular places to explore. WBUR and its compatriots in the New England News Collaborative have put together lists of day trips you can take to get a sense of the region.