The 2026 World Cup is one year away: How plans for Boston's seven games are progressing and what comes next

Boston Globe

a day ago

Or New England, for that matter.
'It's bigger than I've ever seen in my lifetime and perhaps that we'll see in the next lifetime, I'm not sure,' said Martha Sheridan, president and CEO of Meet Boston. 'Nothing would compare to this. This is what we would call an outlier.'
Next year's World Cup will be the first with 104 games to be played by 48 teams, an increase of 12 countries over the World Cups since 1998, and twice as many games and teams as there were in 1994, when the US last hosted the World Cup.
In that World Cup, the six games at the smaller Foxboro Stadium generated some $50 million in revenues.
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Organizers expect this one to create more than 5,000 jobs and for $60 million in revenues for the state and city.
Not included in the $1.1 billion, a figure the organizing committee said is based on independent studies, is free media exposure estimated to be worth 'hundreds of millions of dollars,' said Mike Loynd, president and CEO of FIFA World Cup Boston 2026.
Also left out of the billion-dollar equation is 'future legacy,' which Loynd said refers to economic growth that will accrue from 'the region being recognized as a great place to do business and visit.
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'I don't think we've ever seen this sort of density of events this close together with this amount of attention paid internationally. We're seeing hundreds of thousands of viewers per event, at a minimum, on average for the games, and the quarterfinal [on July 9] will be massive. The eyes of the world will be on us.'
Before the hordes and cameras arrive, Boston organizers will continue to chip away at a formidable to-do list that's been growing since FIFA included Boston on its list of 16 North American host cities almost three years ago.
A few items, such as festooning South Station with 'Boston 26″ paraphernalia and unveiling a countdown clock at Faneuil Hall Wednesday morning, are being activated at one year away.
The biggest pieces of the puzzle, such as security, transportation, funding, and FanFest specifics, are still being hammered out.
Other items, such as many of the stadium modifications, have to wait for the Patriots' upcoming season to end.
There's a lot of legwork left before visitors start swiping and tapping their credit cards.
Loynd and Sheridan sat down with the Globe recently to provide a progress report.
Pillow talk
There are enough beds for everyone.
'We'll be fine,' said Sheridan, citing a high density of hotel properties across Boston and southern New England. FIFA is holding about 3,900 rooms a night for approximately 40 days. Reservations should roughly happen in three waves, beginning this week when hotels open their systems 12 months out, after the draw in December when fans across the globe learn where their team will be playing, and in the weeks and days as the tournament approaches.
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Immigration worries
Because the Trump administration's aggressive stance and actions regarding illegal and legal immigrants is well-documented and ongoing, an influx of foreigners in every one of the 11 US host cities will be fraught.
However, Boston organizers voiced confidence that the close relationship between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Trump, as well as the president's desire to pull off a tournament without controversy, will decrease the possibility of problems.
'The administration is hyperfocused on making this event successful; they know they're in the spotlight,' said Sheridan. 'I think the administration is going to be uber-focused on making sure that the inbound process is as smooth as possible.'
Safe and sound
Each host city has been in talks with the Department of Homeland Security and FIFA over the last two years to coordinate over common concerns and to anticipate trouble spots at the stadium, traffic routes, and fan-gathering sites.
Locally, Loynd's organizing committee and the state chair a steering committee on security that has 18 subgroups that include representation from about 30 public agencies, including the Boston and state police, chiefs of staff from the governor and Boston mayor's office, the state's emergency operations center, MBTA, and Amtrak security.
The federal government has dedicated $625 million to help with security in the US cities.
No texting while idling
Nobody should be under the impression that getting in and out of Boston Stadium will somehow be quicker and easier than the usual congestion around Gillette Stadium for concerts and Patriots and Revolution games. Because fewer spectators will be traveling to the Boston area with a car than for normal stadium events, there will be an even heavier reliance on public transportation.
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The frequency of commuter rail trips will increase and bus routes will be added to supplement train service. Boston organizers and MBTA officials are working together on transportation issues.
Organizers are still finalizing plans on whether satellite parking lots for buses will be used, plus working on other solutions to mitigate congestion.
Stadium makeover
In order to provide enough space for a properly sized FIFA pitch, crews will have to make four corner cuts in the curved corners of the lower seating bowl. Those will happen soon, with temporary seating provided during the Patriots season so capacity will not shrink.
An exact capacity figure for the soccer games is not available, but with the corner cuts and an extra media tribune being built over seating in the south end of the stadium, capacity will be less than the 65,878 for Patriots games.
Whenever the Patriots' season ends, crews will finish installing the subair system that, along with grow lights, will be needed for the new grass field.
In addition to removing Gillette Stadium signage, any current corporate signage will be covered so that only FIFA's corporate sponsors' logos can be seen by fans and TV viewers.
A Gillette Stadium makeover for World Cup games next year will be completed once the Patriots' upcoming season ends.
Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
Who's got tickets
FIFA maintains tight control on the vast majority of tickets for each game and has yet to provide information on sales and pricing. The Boston committee will receive a modest allotment that will be reserved mainly for its sponsors and donors. There will not be more information on tickets before the end of FIFA's Club World Cup taking place in the US now through mid-July. Keep an eye out for
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More than a game
There will be a central FanFest site located in Boston, but the big reveal on where and what it will entail is not ready. There also will be public viewing sites across New England. Once the draw is completed, the committee will try, if possible, to focus celebratory activities in any regional area heavily populated by native fans of incoming national teams.
On Wednesday morning, a countdown clock for the start of the World Cup will start ticking outside Faneuil Hall. In the afternoon, Governor Maura Healey and assorted soccer luminaries will take part in a soccer demonstration and panel discussion at Boston University's Nickerson Field.
There will be costs
Loynd said the committee is working on a budget with an unknown final figure but one that is expected to fall between $75 million and $100 million. 'We're never going to build anything more than what we can financially afford,' said Loynd. Besides security and transportation costs, there are costs associated with FanFest and other celebratory sites, none of which have been finalized. Ronald O'Hanley, chair and CEO of State Street Bank, is chairing an honorary board with members, many of whom will be donors, being announced in the coming weeks. Meet Boston provided $5 million for Boston 26, said Sheridan.
What's left behind
It's too early for details, but Boston 26 will be building multiple soccer fields in underserved communities, said Loynd. Boston 26 also intends to develop programming for a 'collective group of social impact programs that exist across New England to work together,' he said.
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Boston's World Cup games
Boston will host seven games in the 2026 World Cup. The matchups and details will come after the draw is announced in December.
Saturday, June 13
: Group C game
Tuesday, June 16
: Group I game
Friday, June 19
: Group C game
Tuesday, June 23
: Group L game
Friday, June 26
: Group I game
Monday, June 29
: Group E winner vs. Group A/B/C/D/F third-place game
Thursday, July 9
: Quarterfinal game
Michael Silverman can be reached at