The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off in the Boston area this weekend and local officials say the region is prepared for crowds, traffic, severe weather and security threats based on its experience with the Boston Marathon, New England Patriots football games and other major events.
However, transportation challenges and other logistical hiccups are expected. And the anticipated boon for the hospitality industry has not yet materialized, according to experts.
The games begin Thursday in several cities across North America. For Boston, Saturday’s match between Haiti and Scotland will be the first of seven to take place at Boston Stadium, the temporary name for Gillette Stadium, which is situated in the suburban town of Foxborough about 25 miles southwest of Boston.
Leaders in Boston, Foxborough and across the region are confident in the preparations.
“Officials have frequently described the tournament as comparable to hosting multiple Super Bowls within a short period, requiring thousands of hours of planning and coordination,” Foxborough Town Manager Paige Duncan told Northeastern Global News, lauding the efforts by the town’s police and fire departments. “Foxborough is ready.”
Experts said the region’s familiarity with large-scale events is an advantage, drawing from pre-existing partnerships and a wealth of historical knowledge, including the 1994 World Cup.
Close-up of an MBTA commuter rail map showing the Franklin Line and Providence/Stoughton Line, with Foxboro station highlighted.
06/05/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Commuter rail map and schedule before the Wold Cup on Friday, June 5, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
A commuter rail train sits on the track at Ruggles station.
06/05/26 – BOSTON, MA. – Commuter rail map and schedule before the Wold Cup on Friday, June 5, 2026. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
The 14 Commuter Rail trains dedicated for the World Cup can transport up to 20,000 people per match between Boston and Foxborough. Photos by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University
“The fact that we do the Boston Marathon event every year gives the region and the Boston metro area some good muscle memory about how to deal with this,” said Stephen Flynn, director of Northeastern University’s Global Resilience Institute. “There’s a better preparedness that you’re building across, also because you’re involving multiple players from across multiple jurisdictions. It’s not just the city of Boston.”
But the World Cup is not happening in a vacuum for Boston. This summer, the city will also welcome the Tall Ships maritime event and celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
“It’s a huge undertaking,” Nick Ramfos, director of the National Operations Center of Excellence at the Washington, D.C.-based American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, said of the logistics surrounding the World Cup.
Boston city officials offered insights into their preparations. Chief among them is the establishment of a Special Events Coordinator Center, which includes representatives specializing in public safety, health, transportation, and other areas who will work together to address any incident swiftly.
Contingency plans are in place for severe weather, transportation issues and public safety incidents. Health officials will be tracking infectious diseases in the wastewater; traffic officials have established rideshare pick-up and drop-off zones and will adjust traffic flows as needed; public safety officials are asking fans to “see something, say something” and leave the fireworks and large bags at home.
Public safety officials across several World Cup venues are concerned with drones, which won’t be allowed near any of the games. The federal government awarded Massachusetts $21.2 million for training and providing security against drones.
The stadium itself has a security perimeter with plans for as many as 85 Massachusetts National Guard members to assist local officials. Fans are warned against going to the stadium without a ticket. In fact, they won’t be allowed to get on dedicated trains or coach buses to Foxborough without one.
Fans may spend an hour going through security, officials said, as heightened screening around the stadium will require fans to show their tickets three different times. Fans can stay informed with the FIFA app or a dedicated WhatsApp channel.
Professor Serena Alexander poses for a portrait in front of a red background.
01/23/24 – BOSTON, MA. – Serena Alexander, associate professor with a joint appointment in the schools of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Public Policy and Urban Affairs, poses for a portrait on Jan. 23, 2024. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Director Stephen Flynn poses for a photo.
Stephen Flynn, director of the Global Resilience Institute. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
Northeastern experts say Boston has experience hosting large-scale events. But the World Cup could test the region’s transportation infrastructure. Photos by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
A non-competitive match between France and Brazil held in March informed Massachusetts transportation officials that more prominent wayfinding signs were needed to help guide World Cup fans to and from the matches. Plus, they needed to continue communicating that Boston Stadium isn’t actually in the city limits.
“Pats fans tend to know the drill. They’ve been here before; they know the roads, the parking, the surrounding area,” said Duncan, Foxborough’s town manager Duncan, referring to the New England Patriots and the stadium. “World Cup visitors are more likely to be international travelers or fans who have never been to Gillette Stadium before. That changes how we think about the fan experience, from wayfinding to public safety presence to community outreach.”
The other 15 World Cup host cities are addressing preparations in different ways. Mexico is sending out 100,000 troops, mostly concentrated around the country’s three host cities. In Miami, security zones will be added to prevent a repeat of the 2024 Copa America event that saw unticketed fans rush the stadium. Despite prior privacy concerns, Seattle’s mayor has agreed to turn on surveillance cameras in the city’s Stadium District.
The FIFA excitement will be centralized at a 16-day fan festival at Boston City Hall Plaza with live broadcasts, music and entertainment, but the celebrations extend across Massachusetts with youth soccer festivals and nearly 200 watch parties scheduled. Restaurants and bars are also getting in on the football action, particularly boosted by a temporary extension of last call to 3 a.m. Several pubs across Massachusetts have pre-established soccer culture, with some specifically cultivated for teams like Scotland or Liverpool. Some local establishments are even offering special World Cup-themed desserts to honor the games.
But the hotel industry hasn’t seen quite the boom it was anticipating. The American Hotel and Lodging Association reported that in Boston, almost 80% of respondents to a member survey reported that booked hotel nights were below the expected pace.
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Other World Cup preparations haven’t been without a headache. Workers at the Los Angeles Stadium were set to strike but reached an agreement with operators days before the first match. In Boston, people who signed up to be volunteers described a murky process and for some time, the town of Foxborough refused to grant a license for the games because it didn’t want to foot the $8 million security bill (the town eventually agreed after the host committee and the Kraft Group, which owns the stadium, advanced those costs).
The World Cup could also test the Boston region’s transportation infrastructure. Experts say redundancy and reliability are keys to successful preparation: Is there a variety of ways to get to the event, and will people be shuttled in a safe and timely manner?
“If you have a really good regional transportation system, but say other parts of your system don’t work as well, your whole system is only as strong as your weakest part,” said Serena Alexander, an associate professor in Northeastern’s School for Public Policy and Urban Affairs and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Fans can reach Boston Stadium by car, bus or train. Other World Cup host cities are promoting additional modes like walking or biking, with some, like Philadelphia or Houston, keeping transit fees the same, even for the games.
“I think the city will manage it,” Flynn said of the logistical acrobatics awaiting Boston. “But there’s going to be some hiccups.”
Hannah Morse is a news reporter at Northeastern Global News.