Boston wins bid for 2026 FIFA World Cup

The city of Boston returns to the international soccer spotlight as Beantown was one of the sixteen cities selected to be hosts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Boston, more specifically Foxboro, witnessed the birth of the United States soccer fandom as Foxboro Stadium hosted six matches during the 1994 World Cup. Gillette Stadium went on to host five and four games during the 1999 and 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup, respectively.

Each host city will host four to six games. On top of hosting the games themselves, Boston will also host fan fests throughout the city where fans can engage and enjoy the festivities!

“We are thrilled to welcome FIFA World Cup Soccer back to Massachusetts in 2026…we are appreciative of Robert Kraft for his efforts as Honorary Chair of the United Bid to help bring the World Cup back to the United States, as well as the Boston Soccer 2026 Committee for its tireless work to secure Boston as a host city,” said Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker.

Boston Mayor Michell Wu said, “The City of Boston is excited to once again welcome the worldwide soccer community and visitors as the FIFA World Cup returns to Massachusetts. We’re proud of our long legacy of championship teams and fans, and we’re ready to showcase our city to soccer fans around the world as they come to celebrate the beautiful game.”

Not only will the 2026 World Cup have an everlasting impact on the soccer fandom in Boston, but it’s expected to boost the local economy as the projected net economic impact can reach as high as $500 million.

Boston joins Seattle, San Francisco/Bay Area, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Dallas, Atlanta, Houston, Philadelphia, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Vancouver, and Toronto as host cities for 2026.