A travel guide to the World Cup 2026 host cities – including how to get there and where to stay

The Angel of Independence in Mexico City - E+

And so, the draw has been made, the first matches have been announced, and the 2026 edition of football’s blue-riband international tournament, the FIFA World Cup – due to be staged between June 11 and July 19 next year – feels that little bit closer to kick-off.

For now, the main focus – on these shores, at least – will fall upon the unveiling of the group-stage opponents for England and Scotland.

The Three Lions will play Croatia, Ghana and Panama as the seeded team in Group L; while Scotland, their oldest, fiercest rivals, will face Morocco, Haiti and the formidable challenge of five-time champions Brazil in Group C.

But beyond this “battle of Britain”, the 23rd tussle for football’s most coveted trophy is the largest yet; a tournament that will comprise 48 national teams, 16 cities, and three countries – with the United States, Canada and Mexico lining up together as joint hosts.

What do each of these cities offer to travellers who want more than the big match?

This feature lays out the many and various attractions to be found in the likes of New York and Los Angeles, Toronto and Vancouver, Mexico City and Monterrey – whether you are planning the briefest passing visit, or hoping to follow your team all the way to the final...

(All match dates are according to local kick-off time)

The USA

Boston

A small city wrapped up in a much larger one, Boston spreads out as the de-facto capital of New England – but remains, at its core, the colonial upstart which helped to spark the revolution against British rule.

Acorn Street is a pretty cobblestone lane in Beacon Hill in Boston - Albert Pego

The churches, meeting houses and battle-sites of those febrile years are linked by the Freedom Trail walking route – which makes for an easy 2.5-mile stroll around what is a compact centre. That said, eras other than the 1770s are also on show. The modern Massachusetts is visible in the sculptures of the Institute of Contemporary Art, and the busy restaurants of North End.

Direct flights from the UK? British Airways, American Airlines, Delta and Virgin Atlantic, all from Heathrow. JetBlue from both Heathrow and Gatwick.

Key matches: Scotland v Haiti (June 13); Scotland v Morocco (June 19); England v Ghana (June 23); Norway v France (June 26); quarter-final 1 (July 9)

New York

From the torch of the Statue of Liberty to the top of the Empire State Building, New York needs no introduction as a destination.

Nor do the leafy pathways of Central Park, the bars and restaurants of Brooklyn, the department stores of Fifth Avenue or the bright artworks on display at MoMA.

Rooms are available at citizenM New York Bowery from £121 - CitizenM

True, its part in the World Cup does need explanation – the MetLife Stadium, its temple to the other, American form of football, actually sits five miles west of the city, in New Jersey – but this hair-splitting will do nothing to dim the Big Apple’s lustre during the tournament.

Direct flights from the UK? British Airways (to JFK and Newark, from Heathrow); American Airlines (JFK, from Heathrow and Edinburgh); Delta (JFK, from Heathrow and Edinburgh); JetBlue (JFK, from Heathrow and Edinburgh); Virgin Atlantic (JFK, from Heathrow and Manchester), Norse Atlantic Airways (JFK, from Gatwick); Aer Lingus (JFK, from Manchester); United Airlines (Newark, from Heathrow, Edinburgh and Glasgow).

Key matches: Brazil v Morocco (June 13); France v Senegal (June 16); Ecuador v Germany (June 25); England v Panama (June 27); The Final (July 19)

Philadelphia

It is no coincidence that “Philly” is hosting a World Cup knock-out fixture on July 4. The largest city in Pennsylvania is so tightly entwined with the story of American freedom that you can scarcely walk a block without hearing mention of it.

Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, where the U.S. Constitution was debated and signed - Garen Meguerian

Indeed, its historic core, including the hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed, is now protected as Independence National Historical Park.

Equally, there is more to what is a sprawling metropolis than the Liberty Bell. The Art Museum is one of the country’s greatest, even without the immortalisation of its steps in the Rocky movies.

Direct flights from the UK? BA (Heathrow), American Airlines (Heathrow, Edinburgh).

Key matches: Ivory Coast v Ecuador (June 14); Brazil v Haiti (June 19); Croatia v Ghana (June 27); last-16 match 2 (July 4)

Miami

Not long ago, the very idea of Florida’s sunniest, southernmost city playing host to “soccer” would have been wholly implausible.

But that was before the birth of Inter Miami (in 2018), and the arrival of Lionel Messi in the club’s unmistakable pink kit (in 2023).

Ocean views at Loews Miami Beach Hotel

Of course, the “classic” Miami still exists: in the golden strip of South Beach, and in the lively bars and the Art Deco hotels which frame it.

Better still, if you want a middle ground between sandy indolence and sporting glory, the many eateries of Little Havana and the 21st century installations of the Perez Art Museum will fill that gap.

Direct flights from the UK? BA, American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic (all Heathrow)

Key matches: Saudi Arabia v Uruguay (June 15); Uruguay v Cape Verde (June 21); Scotland v Brazil (June 24); Colombia v Portugal (June 27); quarter-final 3 (July 11)

Atlanta

The capital of Georgia is no stranger to major sporting events – you might argue that its hosting of the 1996 Olympics put Atlanta on the international map.

A Coca-Cola sign in Atlanta, Georgia - Elijah Nouvelage

Memories of that summer linger in Centennial Olympic Park, the open space that will be one of the main gathering places during the World Cup. The attractions on its edges all sing to Atlanta’s soul.

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights takes a sober look at the world. The World of Coca-Cola celebrates the city’s most famous invention. Georgia Aquarium makes a splash.

Direct flights from the UK? BA (Heathrow), Delta (Heathrow, Edinburgh), Virgin Atlantic (Heathrow, Manchester).

Key matches: Spain v Cape Verde (June 15); Spain v Saudi Arabia (June 21); Morocco v Haiti (June 24); semi-final 2 (July 15)

Los Angeles

So enormous that it could be a state within a state, California’s kingpin rewards those who get to know it. There are obvious landmarks, of course – the pavement stars of the Hollywood Walk of Fame; Griffith Observatory, and the views from its terrace; the sands and surfboards of Venice Beach; the Ferris wheel on Santa Monica Pier (technically another city, but all part of the fun).

A Ferris wheel on Santa Monica pier - Alexander Spatari

But there are “secrets” too: contemporary art museum The Broad; the big-hat cowboy flashbacks of the Autry Museum of the American West.

Direct flights from the UK? BA, American Airlines, United, Virgin Atlantic (all Heathrow); Norse Atlantic Airways (Gatwick).

Key matches: United States v Paraguay (June 12); Iran v New Zealand (June 15); Belgium v Iran (June 21); quarter-final 2 (July 10)

San Francisco

If the arena in question (the Levi’s Stadium) is technically in Santa Clara, 40 miles to the south-east (and all but in San Jose), San Francisco will be the magnet for the majority of the football fans visiting the Bay Area.

Alcatraz Island in San Francisco bay - Noah Berger

Few dots on the American map are quite as visually iconic – the Golden Gate Bridge forging north as a mile-long flash of red, Alcatraz brooding in the vicious currents below, Coit Tower looking on, with its echoes of Hitchcock and Vertigo.

Throw in the restaurants of North Beach and Pacific Heights – and the bars of the Mission district – and you have quite the package.

Direct flights from the UK? BA, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic (all Heathrow)

Key matches: Qatar v Switzerland (June 13); Austria v Jordan (June 16); Jordan v Algeria (June 22); Paraguay v Australia (June 25); last-32 match 9 (July 1)

Seattle

A place of significant musical legacy, Seattle pays tribute to two of its most celebrated sons (Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain) at its Museum of Pop Culture – while the Seattle Art Museum is one of America’s foremost modern art museums.

Pike Place Market is a popular farmer’s market in Seattle - Alamy

The city also revels in fresh seafood at Pike Place Market – where, if global coffee chains are your thing, you can also order a latte at the original Starbucks. But the “Emerald City” is arguably most spectacular beyond its boundaries. The Olympic National Park, on its doorstep, is a wonderland of rainforest and volcanic grandeur.

Direct flights from the UK? BA, Delta, Virgin Atlantic (all from Heathrow)

Key matches: Belgium v Egypt (June 15); United States v Australia (June 19); Egypt v Iran (June 26); last-16 match 6 (July 6)

Houston

There can be a tendency to view what is America’s fourth largest city (and the biggest in Texas) as a giant oil town with few interesting characteristics. But Houston’s size and wealth make for a beguiling mix of culture and cuisine.

The Houston Theater District in Downtown Houston - Alamy

Its Museum of Fine Arts has works by Rembrandt and Canaletto. There are restaurants galore in Montrose and Chinatown. And if all else fails, there is the race to the moon, as recalled at Space Center Houston.

Direct flights from the UK? BA and United (both from Heathrow).

Key matches: Germany v Curacao (June 14); Portugal v Uzbekistan (June 23); Cape Verde v Saudi Arabia (June 26); last-16 match 2 (July 4)

Dallas

America’s ninth biggest city occupies a curious slot in the US landscape. On one hand, it is indelibly tied to John F. Kennedy – whose assassination in Dealey Plaza in 1963 is expertly analysed at the adjacent Sixth Floor Museum; an absolute must-visit.

Murals of John and Jacqueline Kennedy at the Sixth Floor Museum at the old Dallas Book Depository - Alamy

On the other, Dallas is Texas at its brashest – serving meat-heavy barbecue and Tex-Mex fare in the restaurants of Uptown and Deep Ellum.

And cowboy culture is never far away – especially if you hop to sibling city Fort Worth (30 miles west), where the Stockyards, a preserved cattle market, still echo to the thunder of hooves.

Direct flights from the UK? BA and American Airlines (both Heathrow).

Key matches: Netherlands v Japan (June 14); England v Croatia (June 17); Argentina v Austria (June 22); Jordan v Argentina (June 27); semi-final 1 (July 14)

Kansas City

The city central to the tournament map – Kansas sits roughly midway across the USA – is also a quiz-show answer: in spite of its name, 85 per cent of its urban area is located in Missouri (the state line with Kansas runs through the metropolis).

An American sporting icon in recent years, due to the three Super Bowls the Kansas City Chiefs have won since 2020, the “Paris of the Plains” also has a cultural edge. Its Nelson Atkins Museum of Art is a treasure trove of indigenous and Asian painting; the American Jazz Museum salutes a genre which has flourished in the city.

Inside the American Jazz Museum in Kansas - Alamy

Direct flights from the UK? No. Connections via New York (Delta).

Key matches: Argentina v Algeria (June 16); Ecuador v Curacao (June 20); Tunisia v Netherlands (June 25); quarter-final 4 (July 11)

Canada

Toronto

Sometimes dismissed as New York’s dull Canadian cousin, Toronto shows its true self to those who look beyond the stereotype. Queen Street alone offers a neat snapshot, not least in its western section, where the bright murals of Graffiti Alley and the bars of West Queen West revel in a bohemian vibe.

The Gooderham Building in downtown Toronto - E+

There are old masters aplenty (Rubens, Monet, Degas) at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and leafy trails galore in High Park. And if you want a view of it all from above (including the broad blue of Lake Ontario), then the CN Tower holds the highest of its three observation decks at 1,465ft (447m).

Key matches: First Canada fixture (opponent TBC; June 12); Ghana v Panama (June 17); Germany v Ivory Coast (June 20); Panama v Croatia (June 23); last-32 match 11 (July 2)

Vancouver

The metropolis at the far side of Canada may demand a 10-hour flight of British travellers, but it rewards those who make the journey.

A view of Vancouver from Mount Fromme - Moment RF

Vancouver is laid out as a series of jigsaw pieces – the bars, breweries and antique quaintness of Gastown tucking into the shops and cafes of Downtown, with the more residential West End offering bakeries and beaches just beyond.

Ultimately, it all comes to a head where Stanley Park crowns the peninsula – jutting into the waters of Burrard Inlet as a 1,000-acre nugget of trees, trails and (most strikingly) totem poles; an oasis of calm in a city of almost three million souls.

Direct flights from the UK? BA (Heathrow, Gatwick); Air Canada (Heathrow)

Key matches: Canada v Qatar (June 18); New Zealand v Egypt (June 21); Switzerland v Canada (June 24); New Zealand v Belgium (June 26); last-16 match 8 (July 7).

Mexico

Mexico City

The largest city in North America in terms of population (23 million people), Mexico’s capital is also still, in essence, the Aztec citadel of Tenochtitlan, which ruled the region prior to Spanish conquest in 1521.

The Basilica of Santa María de Guadalupe in Mexico - Marco Bottigelli

Its roots are visible in the Zocalo, the colossal main square and onetime heartbeat of the pre-Colombian settlement – and in the ruined Templo Mayor, whose importance is only partly eclipsed by the Metropolitan Cathedral which supplanted it.

Of course, the city also swaggers in the 21st century, and there are chic restaurants galore in glamorous Condesa.

Key matches: Mexico v South Africa (opening fixture of the tournament; June 11); last-16 match 4 (July 5).

Guadalajara

If there is a smaller-scale version of a major Mexican city, Guadalajara may be it. With an urban population of “just” five million, it is effectively a fifth the size of Mexico City – and it lends itself to exploration by those who prefer to wander a little off the beaten track.

The Arcos del Milenio (Millennium Arches) in Guadalajara - Alamy

Not that you will find much room to move in the Mercado Libertad, the largest indoor market in Latin America, or amid the music of Plaza de los Mariachis (the clue is in the name).

But there are quieter moments too: under the arches in the 16th century cathedral; amongst the paintings and artefacts of the Museo de las Artes.

Direct flights from the UK? No. Connections via Mexico City (Aeromexico)

Key matches: Mexico v South Korea (June 18); Uruguay v Spain (June 26)

Monterrey

Viewed as one of the most “liveable” cities in Mexico, Monterrey also has a fair element of appeal for those who visit for a few days.

The capital of the northerly state of Nueva Leon, it sits just 100 miles from the US border – but feels a million miles removed from stars, stripes and skyscrapers in the cobbled streets of its Barrio Antiguo, and in the baroque confines of its 18th century cathedral.

Colourful historic buildings in Mexico’s Barrio Antiguo - iStockphoto

Other eras shine through too. Fundidora Park makes superb recycled use of the grounds of what was once the city’s steel foundry – even preserving the gigantic carcass of the main blast furnace.

Direct flights from the UK? No. Connections via Mexico City (Aeromexico)

Key matches: Tunisia v Japan (June 20); South Africa v South Korea (June 24); last-32 match 3 (June 29)

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