When it was announced a few years ago that the men’s FIFA World Cup would be held in the United States in 2026, I knew I wanted to go. I had attended World Cups in other countries and was excited to experience one at home. Attending the tournament every four years has become a family tradition that began with my dad and later grew to include me, my uncle, my son, and my husband. My dad has always been a huge soccer fan, and while I follow the sport a little less closely, I am a fan too. We have also loved exploring new countries between matches.

Getting Tickets and Planning the Trip

This was my fifth World Cup, but the first time I led the ticket purchase and trip planning myself, including accommodations, parking, and game-day logistics. In past years, I traveled with my dad, who handled the details. This time, I coordinated everything. We used my dad’s house in the DC area as our home base and drove to Philadelphia and New York/New Jersey on match days. Our group included me, my husband Mark, my son Markell, and my dad.

Planning began in late summer 2025, when I registered my interest in tickets. A few weeks later, in early October, I received my assigned purchase date and time slot—a small but exciting milestone that made the trip feel real.

When my purchase window opened, I had hoped to follow Team Algeria, my dad’s team, while also attending a few matches in Philadelphia or New Jersey. However, the FIFA ticketing system would not let me buy both Team Algeria tickets and individual match tickets because some dates overlapped. Ultimately, we prioritized location and timing over specific teams and selected four games: three in Philadelphia and one in New York/New Jersey. At that point, we still did not know which teams we would see.

We have always attended group-stage games, so I cannot really speak to what it is like to buy tickets for or attend matches beyond that stage of the World Cup.

I paid between $155 and $170 per ticket for Category 3 seats, the least expensive option available. In previous World Cups, that price range likely would have gotten us closer to Category 2 seats, so tickets were more expensive than they were at the last World Cup I attended in Qatar.

Several months later, the matchups were announced, and our schedule finally came together:

• Ecuador vs. Côte d’Ivoire — Sunday, June 14, Philadelphia stadium
• France vs. Senegal — Tuesday, June 16, New York/New Jersey stadium
• Brazil vs. Haiti — Friday, June 19, Philadelphia stadium
• France vs. Iraq — Monday, June 22, Philadelphia stadium (we later sold these tickets and did not attend)

We eventually sold the France vs. Iraq tickets because the France vs. Senegal match felt like the stronger draw and fit better with our overall itinerary. The tickets I purchased for $155 sold for $800 in less than 12 hours. FIFA took a 15% resale fee, but selling our four tickets for that match essentially covered the cost of the rest of our tickets. To be clear, I did not buy the tickets intending to resell them, and I would prefer to see FIFA set limits to keep tickets more affordable for fans. That said, I sold them at the market rate available at the time. FIFA also delayed payments to those who sold tickets; I received the money a little over a month after the sale.

Finding accommodations was not too difficult. I looked for Airbnbs or hotels within about 30 minutes of each stadium, and having a car gave us flexibility. We initially booked Airbnbs for each location, but about a month before the trip, our Philadelphia Airbnb canceled. Thankfully, I was able to find another Airbnb and a hotel for those dates, though both were more expensive than our original plans. In the end, our stays ranged from $240 to $340 per night for accommodations for four adults. We only needed three hotel nights total because we were able to stay with my dad in the DC area for free on non-game days.

Game-day transportation required just as much planning. For Philadelphia, I had been to events at the stadium before, so I knew the SEPTA Metro line to the NRG stop would be the easiest option. We pre-booked parking along the line and took the train the rest of the way. At $2.90 per person, the train was a great value, and parking was reasonable as well—$23 for one game and $29 for another.

The New York/New Jersey match was different. Our Airbnb was in Elizabeth, New Jersey, which has a train station, but we were not sure whether the reported train price hikes—more than $100 per person—would apply from that station to the stadium. To avoid the uncertainty, I booked parking directly through FIFA. It was an eye-popping $225, but it secured a spot within walking distance of the stadium and gave us one less thing to worry about on game day.

Game Day Experiences

The overall game day atmosphere was energetic and memorable, with each match offering its own distinct fan experience. One standout pre-game moment was the use of the intro to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” to hype up the crowd ahead of the matches, which helped build excitement and set the tone before play began.

Ecuador vs Cote D’Ivoire

There were significantly more Ecuadorian fans than Cote D’Ivoire supporters, which may have reflected the larger Ecuadorian presence in the United States as well as challenges some countries faced in obtaining visas to travel for the games. Before kickoff, Ecuadorian fans brought a lot of energy outside the stadium with dancing and chants, including the memorable “¡Sí se puede!” (“Yes, we can!”). Jay-Z was also in attendance, adding to the excitement of the event. Cote D’Ivoire ultimately won 1-0, scoring the decisive goal in the 90th minute.

France vs Senegal

The France vs Senegal match was my first time at MetLife Stadium, also known as the New York/New Jersey stadium. Before the game, I spent time in the FIFA fan zone outside the stadium, which added to the overall experience. Some New York Knicks players were in the crowd, which was exciting since they had just won the NBA Finals a few days earlier. France won 3-1, with Mbappé scoring two of the three goals. I was a little disappointed, though, that the French fans did not seem as enthusiastic when leaving the stadium as I typically expect winning fans to be.

Brazil vs Haiti

Brazil vs Haiti was our first night game and had the best overall energy. Both Brazilian and Haitian fans were lively, with the Haitian fans bringing especially strong enthusiasm given that this was only Haiti’s second-ever appearance in the FIFA World Cup. I was pleasantly surprised by how many Haitian fans were there; while Brazil still had more supporters, the difference was not as large as I expected. On the way to my seat, I saw the Brazil team bus arriving at the stadium, and later had a funny coincidence when I discovered that the person I bought water from had gone to the same high school as me, just in a different graduating year. The night setting also included a cool light show paired with Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Brazil won 3-0, though it felt a bit odd because Haiti maintained a lot of possession and reached Brazil’s goal area several times but could not finish their chances.

Overall Thoughts

Overall, I’m very glad I attended the World Cup in the U.S. It was wonderful to see visitors from around the world experience American culture while enjoying high-quality soccer. The tournament felt like a month-long celebration across the country, perfectly timed with America’s 250th anniversary. Because I’m familiar with the U.S., it was less of a cultural experience for me personally, but I still loved attending the matches and spending time with my family. I also explored new parts of Philadelphia and its suburbs and visited the Meadowlands stadium in New York/New Jersey for the first time.

A lot can happen in four years, but we tentatively plan to attend the next World Cup, which will be hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. I’ve been to all three countries and would gladly return to attend a few matches. Before then, I’m considering attending the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil next summer and in two years, the Euros will also be held in England, close to my current home.