The 2026 World Cup is a little more than two years away, but you can mark your calendars now because FIFA has announced the highly-anticipated match schedule, and Boston will host seven matches.
Five group stage matches will be played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Saturday, June 13; Tuesday, June 16; Friday, June 19; Tuesday, June 23; and Friday, June 26. Boston was also awarded two matches in the knockout rounds, with one match each in the Round of 32 on Monday, June 29, and the Quarterfinal Round on Thursday, July 9.
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Additional tournament details including ticketing information, match pairings by group, and kickoff times will be revealed by FIFA at a later date.
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The announcement Sunday was praised by state and city leaders who say they are eager for this exciting opportunity.
“Massachusetts is thrilled to welcome the many thousands of fans and visitors from around the world to our great state in the summer of 2026 for this truly unforgettable event. We are eager for this chance to shine the global spotlight on our local communities and incredible hospitality and entertainment industries,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. “We look forward to working alongside FIFA, Boston Soccer 26, the City of Boston, Meet Boston, and the Kraft Group, and other local leaders as we prepare to welcome the World Cup back to Massachusetts.”
Mayor Michelle Wu said “The City of Boston is thrilled to learn that Boston will host seven matches when the FIFA World Cup returns to our city and Massachusetts.”
"The 2026 World Cup™ is an exciting opportunity to showcase all that Boston has to offer as a premier travel destination and world-class hub for the arts, culture, and sports," Wu continued. "We look forward to welcoming soccer fans from around the world as they come to celebrate the World Cup.”
In 1994, Boston hosted six matches also including the memorable Quarterfinal of the eventual runner-up Italy defeating Spain, 2-1, in front of 53,400 fans to earn its spot in the Semifinal Round. Boston also hosted Italy in the Round of 16 when the Azzurri defeated Nigeria, 2-1, after extra time.
The president and CEO of Meet Boston said she's "ecstatic with today’s news that Greater Boston will be hosting seven FIFA World Cup™ matches in the summer of 2026.”
“This is the most iconic and impactful sporting event on the planet, putting our destination on the global stage while injecting hundreds of millions of dollars into our regional visitor economy," Martha Sheridan said. "We are ready to welcome the world to Boston and will work with partners throughout the Northeast to facilitate amazing fan experiences up and down the East Coast.”
Mike Loynd, the president of Boston Soccer 26, said they look forward to sharing more details soon on the opportunities of how Boston's business community, passionate soccer fans and citizens can get involved with what "is guaranteed to be the most-watched sporting event in the world."
“Today marks an exciting moment as the FIFA World Cup returns to Boston," Loynd said. "With seven matches to be played in Boston, we have an unprecedented opportunity to bring our community together in celebration of the world’s most popular sport.”
Nearly half a million visitors from around the world are expected to travel to Boston resulting in projected net economic impact of more than $500 million, according to the Boston Consulting Group.
There will be a media briefing at 10 a.m. Monday at High Street Place in Boston where several officials are set to discuss their reaction to the news and the expected economic and cultural impact that the tournament will bring to Boston.
Monday's event will be moderated by Taylor Twellman, former New England Revolution and US National Team soccer player and now TV commentator.
Attendees are set to include Loynd and Sheridan, as well as Brian Bilello, President of the New England Revolution and Chair of the Board of Boston Soccer 26; and Alexander Klosterkemper, Impact Strategies at Boston Soccer 26.
There will also be representatives from three local Soccer for Social Change organizations, including Boston Scores, Soccer without Borders and The Soccer Unity Project; as well as representatives from Kraft Sport & Entertainment, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the City of Boston.
FIFA made the announcement Sunday, allocating the opener of the 39-day tournament to Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on June 11, with the final played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on July 19.
In addition to Gillette, other U.S. sites for the 2026 World Cup include NRG Stadium in Houston; Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri; Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia; and Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Artificial turf will be replaced by grass in Foxborough, as well as Arlington, Atlanta, East Rutherford, Houston, Inglewood and Vancouver. Several of the venues are expected to widen their surfaces to accommodate a 75-by-115 yard playing field.
All 11 of the U.S. stadiums are home to NFL teams.
FIFA divided the group stage into East, Central and West regions and intended to make travel shorter for group winners. Only one match will involve a team that has not had at least three off days.
The U.S. team will open at SoFi on June 12, then play seven days later at Seattle’s Lumen Field and finish the group stage at SoFi on June 25.
FIFA expanded the World Cup from 32 to 48 nations and increased matches from 64 to 104. The 2026 tournament will be co-hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, with all games from the quarterfinals on being played in the U.S.
A nation will need to play eight matches to win the title, up from seven since 1982.
