During Philly's six World Cup matches, hundreds of thousands of soccer fans packed Lincoln Financial Field. They purchased a lot of food, drinks and merchandise. It by and large was considered a win for the soccer community and Philly's overall reputation as a travel destination.
But as Philly residents know, the World Cup wasn't contained to the stadium complex. The city estimated 1 million people would visit this summer, so Lemon Hill underwent a reconstruction project to host the FIFA Fan Festival, SEPTA expanded its service and (finally) deep-cleaned some of its busiest stations. Philadelphia International Airport completed a $500 million revamp and city bars took advantage of an opportunity to temporarily extend their hours until 4 a.m.
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Although the final tourism figures are still rolling in, the city has delivered some promising results. Now that the largest, most expensive and most well-attended World Cup has come to an end, it's time to evaluate the city's performance by examining everything from tourism data to social media memes.
Here's who won, lost or finished with a draw.
Winners
SEPTA
Hundreds of thousands of people relied on SEPTA during each of Philly's match days, according to the transit authority. The lowest ridership came on Sunday, June 14, the day of the first match at the Linc, when SEPTA transported 399,072 riders — a 19% increase from a typical Sunday in spring.
Its busiest day was Thursday, June 25, when Curaçao and Ivory Coast faced off. SEPTA transported 788,940 people that day — a 33% increase compared with an average Thursday in 2025.
SEPTA also transported a combined 155,333 passengers on the Broad Street Line after Philly's six matches. They all got to skip the fare thanks to a sponsorship from Airbnb. This came as transportation systems elsewhere in the country drew scrutiny for increasing fares.
"Overall, this was a time for SEPTA to step up in the global spotlight," said Kelly Greene, public information manager with SEPTA. "Thanks to our dedicated employees, it was a huge success for us."
Sports bars
**World Cup barMolly McVety/Philly Voice
Fans at Frankford Hall cheer to Team USA's 2-0 victory over Australia.**
Several of the city's sports bars drew heavy crowds of soccer fanatics repping various countries and agnostics just looking to immerse themselves in the excitement of the event.
Stateside Live! unveiled a $20 million renovation in the weeks leading up to the tournament. It included a new rooftop bar, beer garden, plaza and concert stage. The makeover seems to have paid off, with hordes of fans spotted drinking, dancing and celebrating during matches.
Some of the more low-key bars got some love, too. Brauhaus Schmitz, the South Street German beer hall, saw its business increase by more than 300% year over year, according to BizNow. The Irish bar Black Taxi in Fairmount also was a popular destination for locals and visitors, likely due to its proximity to the FIFA Fan Festival.
Lion Sports Bar set upa 20-foot world map and asked customers to place a sticker on their home city or country. Entering the weekend, the Center City soccer pub said it got fans from 165 countries and 48 states to make their mark on the poster.
Alex Joseph was one of the fans who packed into Frankford Hall in Fishtown during the United States' match against Australia on June 19. Sporting a foam Team USA cowboy hat he bought at CVS, Joseph described the atmosphere as welcoming and cheerful. It didn't hurt that Team USA beat the Aussies 2-0.
"Everyone's super positive and supporting their teams but not fighting, just loving each other," he said. "It's a beautiful day, we're scoring goals. What more could you ask for?"
Lemon Hill
Perhaps one of the more overlooked areas of East Fairmount Park, Lemon Hill truly transformed itself for the World Cup. The FIFA Fan Festival was one of the country's most successful watch parties, according to event organizers.
With over 1 million square feet of pop-ups, food trucks, interactive games and dozens of TV screens, Lemon Hill welcomed up to 15,000 fans during each day of the World Cup's 39-day run.
Crowds packed the field every day to cheer for their teams, shop at the FIFA store or check out free concerts from artists like Luis Fonsi, Leon Thomas, the All-American Rejects or Deadmau5. Other attendees, like Madison Young, admittedly made the trek solely to "drink and hang out."
No matter the intention that people had going in, there seemed to be a general consensus of pleasant surprise among festivalgoers and residents. As of Wednesday, July 8, more than 425,000 fans had attended the the Fan Festival, Business Insider reported.
"It's been a lot of excitement … and it's really nice," said Beverly Mason, who lives in Brewerytown. "Most people forget that Lemon Hill goes all the way out here."
Young soccer players
**Player EscortJoseph Gidjunis/Veracity Studios
As part of FIFA's Players Escort Program, kids from two Philly-based soccer organizations were chosen to walk onto the field with players during pregame ceremonies for World Cup matches. Above, a group of kids before a match at Lincoln Financial Field.**
Thousands of fans spent an arm and a leg to get a glimpse of some of the world's greatest players, but dozens of Philly kids got the chance to walk them onto the pitch at Lincoln Financial Field.
The FIFA Players Escort Program allowed children ages 8 to 11 in certain soccer-based organizations to hold hands with athletes like Kylian Mbappé, Adrien Rabiot and Vinícius Júnior. They also got to watch the games with their family and friends.
Zion Contreras, a 9-year-old soccer player from Philly, walked with the French team before its match on June 22 and got the chance to see his favorite player, Mbappé, in action.
"The whole team gave me a high-five, including Mbappé," he said. "We had to run back because we wanted to see France score because we know they're really good and could score a lot. Then as soon as we got there, Mbappé scored."
For Andrea Rodgers, executive director of the Starfinder Foundation in Manayunk, the experience represented something more meaningful than a celebrity sighting.
"To know that these kids will have this memory and this experience for the rest of their lives and to watch and witness it," she said. "Something changed in them the moment they stepped foot in the stands after having walked them out. They may not know it now, but I certainly know it."
Nightlife lovers
To appeal to a more international crowd, bar and restaurant owners took advantage of a new state program that allowed establishments to extend their hours until 4 a.m. through the entirety of the tournament.
In total, 53 bars across the city had their permits approved, though some hospitality leaders like Avram Hornik of FCM Hospitality declined to put them to use. Despite only keeping two of his six eligible bars open until the early morning hours, Hornik said that late-night business showed promising results.
"It kind of opens the door to new opportunities," he said. "There's also obviously a lot of energy with the World Cup games that are on late. We have a lot of international visitors in town. So it's nice to be able to accommodate them as well."
Losers
Fairmount residents
**PPA FairmountThom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
The PPA began enforcing parking restrictions around Lemon Hill during the World Cup. The photo above is a file image.**
Leading up to the FIFA Fan Festival, the Philadelphia Parking Authority put forth a requirement that anyone living in certain areas of Fairmount, Spring Garden and Brewerytown would be required to obtain a temporary permit to park near their homes.
Not even one week into the festival, the PPA incorrectly had ticketed nearly 175 vehicles.
"What we're being told is that the applications of those who registered early were completed but then archived such that they are not showing up in the system," a Facebook user commented on a Philly ChitChat post about the situation. "It's a mess and frankly it's not surprising given that it's the PPA."
The PPA apologized and said incorrect citations were automatically canceled, but it was likely not the proudest moment for one of the city's most infamous agencies.
Brewerytown businesses
Although the FIFA Fan Festival was hosting award-winning artists and thousands of soccer fans, not all businesses in the area reaped the benefits. Small business owners in the neighborhood told the Inquirer that the parking restrictions and street closures near their shops had slowed foot traffic from regular and visiting customers.
"Why didn't [organizers] work with the local businesses so we could make the money?" Yolanda Welch, owner of All Day Hoagies, told the Inquirer. "Because we ain't making none."
Drone pilots
As part of its effort to beef up its security systems for the World Cup, Philadelphia received $7 million in federal funding to train officers and purchase equipment to protect the public from unauthorized drones.
The FBI in turn established a "No Drone Zone" above the stadium complex and Lemon Hill Park, with violators subject to fines of up to $100,000 on top of drone confiscation, misdemeanor charges and potential felonies.
That didn't stop a few dozen rebels from testing their luck. Moe than 40 drones were seized in Philly over the first few weeks of the World Cup, Axios reported. By July 4, the FBI and officers with the Department of Homeland Security said they had confiscated over 600 drones across all 11 U.S. host cities.
So much for getting a bird's-eye view.
Mother Nature
**Fifa fan fest shadeMolly McVety/PhillyVoice
Soccer fans look for some shade during a hot day at the FIFA Fan Festival.**
Since the World Cup began, Philly has grappled with record-breaking heat, damaging microburst storms and smoky skies that cut short some of the festivities planned for the city, including several celebrating the United States' 250th anniversary.
On June 22, as France and Iraq played at the Linc, severe thunderstorms forced a weather delay. High winds around Lemon Hill "disrupted the venue," forcing organizers to close the FIFA Fan Festival early.
In response to the triple-digit temperatures earlier this month, FIFA Fan Fest organizers were forced to shift the event's hours to keep attendees out of the sun. Even before extreme heat advisories were enacted, Lemon Hill visitors were forced to get creative to find shade and ways to cool off.
Emergency heat measures also had to be put in place during the Round-of-16 match on July 4 while the city was under a heat health emergency.
Draws
Philly hotels
Less than three months before the World Cup kicked off, FIFA unexpectedly canceled 2,000 hotel room bookings in the city. Industry leaders later reported lower-than-expected bookings leading up to the start of the tournament, with nightly rates dropping by about 20%, the Philadlephia Business Journal reported.
After the Philly's first World Cup match, Ed Grose, president and CEO of the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association, said most of the organization's members saw occupancy rates between 70-75% — better than a typical Sunday, but still not as high as expected.
But after all six matches, Grose called the tournament a "transformational event" for the hospitality industry as a whole. Compared with the same period last year, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau reported a 50.3% increase in hotel revenue, a 52.4% increase in revenue per available room and a 47.5% increase in average daily rate.
"While we didn't do as well as expected during all of the matches, the event was still a huge success for Philadelphia," Grose said. "Hotels throughout the region welcomed guests from across the globe, creating a significant economic boost that extended well beyond our industry. The increased hotel activity benefited restaurants, attractions, retailers, transportation providers, and countless small businesses throughout the Greater Philadelphia region."
The Rocky statue
**Rocky FIFAPilar Olivares/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Croatia fans pose for a photo in front of the Rocky statue ahead of their match on June 26.**
Depending on who you ask, the Rocky statue stood tall as either a beacon of hope or a harbinger of defeat for soccer fans.
During the tournament's opening weekend, Ecuador fans climbed the art museum steps and dressed Rocky Balboa in an Ecuador jersey, befalling the same fate that fans of the Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers suffered before them — their team lost.
Visit Pennsylvania apologetically issued a statement to the remaining countries that would play in Philadelphia.
"Countless football teams have all dressed the Rocky Statue in their colors and gone on to lose," the tourism bureau posted. "... Coincidence? Sadly history says no. Philadelphia can't wait to host you! (but Rocky does not need your kit)."
Brazil fans took note and forbid anyone from adoring the statue in their team's garb. France supporters also enacted a strict no touching policy around the fictional boxer, even forming a barricade around the statue to prevent saboteurs.
"Under no circumstances should you put a Les Bleus shirt or scarf on the Rocky statue!" Irresistibles Francais said in a statement. "Here, the local superstition is very clear: dressing Rocky in the colours of the opposition brings monumental bad luck and dooms the team to defeat (just ask NFL fans)."
Both Brazil and France won their matches in Philly.