Whether you’re following your favorite country or just want to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime experience of watching a FIFA World Cup match live in person, there are always logistical hurdles you have to face. One issue many fans who are coming to the US have to deal with is that many of the host stadiums were primarily designed to be accessed by car. Visitors attending matches in cities like Atlanta, Philadelphia and Seattle won’t have much of an issue. The host stadiums are near the city center and only require a short trip on public transportation. If you’re attending a match at any of these other cities, you need to plan ahead as they have the longest travel times out of all of the US World Cup stadiums.

Gillette Stadium (Boston Stadium)—Foxborough, Massachusetts

As with many of the US World Cup venues, Gillette Stadium isn’t in the host city of Boston. Instead, it’s about 30 miles away in the suburb of Foxborough. On match days, there are direct trains running from Boston to the stadium as well as direct bus routes running from numerous other locations throughout the Greater Boston area. Despite the relatively short distance, fans who opt to take the train service should plan on the trip taking at least one hour each way. If you’re going to take a bus to the stadium, the trip could potentially take much longer depending on where you’re taking the bus from and how congested the traffic is at the time.

Boston is hosting a total of seven matches, including five in the group stage, one in the round of 32 and one quarterfinal. Some of the most intriguing match ups look to be France vs. Norway, England vs. Ghana and Scotland vs. Morocco.

AT&T Stadium (Dallas Stadium)—Arlington, Texas

Dallas itself has fairly limited public transportation options. Arlington, home to AT&T Stadium, has the unfortunate distinction of being the largest city in the US without any form of public transport. That means fans will either need to have a car to drive to the stadium or rely on a bus, shuttle or event-day transportation. The bus trip normally takes between 30 and 45 minutes, but it could potentially take at least twice as long depending on the traffic at that time of the day.

Nine World Cup matches will be played at AT&T Stadium, the most of any of the host stadiums. This includes five group stage matches, two round of 32 matches, one round of 16 match and one of the two semifinals. One of the marquee matches is on June 17 when England play Croatia in a repeat of the 2018 World Cup semifinal.

MetLife Stadium (New York/New Jersey Stadium)—East Rutherford, New Jersey

MetLife Stadium has the honor of hosting the 2026 World Cup Final. It’s also hosting an additional five group stage matches, one game in the Round of 32 and one Round of 16 match. While the stadium isn’t in New York City, it’s located just across the Hudson River from Manhattan in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The actual distance from New York to the stadium is only around 10 miles. However, most fans will need to go to Penn Station and then take a NJ Transit train to Meadowlands Sports Complex Station.

On a good day, the trip takes somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes one way. On match days, overcrowding and delays are likely and could lead to the trip taking an hour or more in total. Fans should plan to arrive at the stadium plenty early because the security lines are typically long and take some time to get through.

Levi’s Stadium (San Francisco Bay Area Stadium)—Santa Clara, California

Levi’s Stadium is yet another US World Cup venue that isn’t actually in the host city. The stadium is located in Santa Clara, which is approximately 40 miles from San Francisco. It’s also about the same distance from Oakland, which is directly across from San Francisco on the other side of the bay.

Despite the stadium being in a suburban area, there are excellent public transportation links from either San Francisco or Oakland. Fans will have to take a BART or Caltrain ride and then transfer to the VTA Light Rail that stops directly outside the station. Whether you’re staying in San Francisco or Oakland, you should plan on the trip taking at least one hour. If you want a shorter trip to the stadium, you can instead stay in nearby San Jose. From there, it only takes between 20 and 40 minutes on the VTA Light Rail Green Line.

SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles Stadium)—Inglewood, California

Los Angeles and the surrounding suburbs are notorious for being difficult to get around without a car. SoFi Stadium is only a short distance away from downtown LA in Inglewood, but getting there can be tricky. Depending on where you’re staying, you can ride the LA Metro at least some of the way. However, you will likely need to transfer at least once and then take a shuttle or a bus to the stadium. You should plan on the trip taking at least a full hour. However, traffic around the stadium tends to be extremely congested and can lead to the trip taking far longer. Fans can also choose to take the LA Metro and then walk the remaining distance. The only thing is that it’s a fairly long walk, and the area around the stadium can potentially be dangerous, especially after dark.

There’s no doubt that the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be an amazing spectacle that draws in millions of fans from around the globe. Getting to some of the stadiums requires a longer trip than many people are used to, but the excitement of watching a match live will make it more than worth it.