Heading to the World Cup in Boston? Here's all you need to know about traffic, road closures and transportation
The 2026 World Cup has started and matches at Boston Stadium begin Saturday.
Here's everything you need to know about local traffic, road closures and transportation options in Massachusetts.
Where is the FIFA World Cup being played in Boston?
There will be seven World Cup matches in the Boston area, but none of them will actually be in the city.
All of them will be played 29 miles away at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, which FIFA has renamed Boston Stadium for the tournament. There are five group stage games and two knockout round matches.
- Haiti v. Scotland on June 13 at 9 p.m.
- Iraq v. Norway on June 16 at 6 p.m.
- Scotland v. Morocco on June 19 at 6 p.m.
- England v. Ghana on June 23 at 4 p.m.
- Norway v. France on June 26 at 3 p.m.
- Round of 32 on June 29 at 4:30 p.m.
- Quarterfinal on July 9 at 4 p.m.
Are any roads closed off in Boston before, during, or after the World Cup?
After months of back-and-forth, part of Summer Street near South Station in Boston will be closed during the World Cup.
For the matches on June 13, 19, 29 and July 9 the street will be fully sectioned off for pedestrians for eight hours.
The westbound side of the street will be open for the matches on June 16, 23 and 26.
Two city-approved fan walks will also shut down some streets in the city.
On June 13, the Haiti World Cup Fan Walk will begin between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. on Boylston Street. The street will be closed from Dartmouth Street to Charles Street. Then both sides of Charles Street through the Boston Public Garden will also be closed.
The Tartan Army World Cup Fan Walk will be held on June 14 at 4 p.m. It will close all of Evans Way from Fenway to Tetlow Street and near the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Jersey Street from Park Drive to Brookline Avenue will also be closed.
At the moment, there are no other fan walks planned that would close down streets.
Where will the heaviest traffic be on the days of the World Cup games in Boston?
You can expect heavy traffic around South Station in Boston due to the full or partial closure of Summer Street, and around City Hall Plaza, where the official FIFA Fan Festival will be held.
Boston 2026 has recommended that fans driving to the games in Foxboro allow plenty of extra time for travel, especially on weekdays when matches may coincide with the evening commute.
"Roads to and from the stadium are expected to be very busy, so please share your vehicle with others where possible and arrive in good time," the organization said on its website.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) said drivers should expect heavier traffic on Route 1 and Interstates 95 and 495.
Foxboro Police Chief Michael Grace said that the town had partnered with Apple, Google, Waze, and other navigation apps to help prevent cars from traveling on residential roads during the World Cup matches.
"We want to make sure that we keep the cars on the roads that are designed to handle the flow," he said.
However, Kraft Sports + Entertainment COO Jim Nolan contradicted Boston 2026, saying they expect traffic around the stadium to be lighter than normal events, like Patriots games and concerts, because more trains and buses will be available for the World Cup.
Anyone driving to the game will also need to book a parking space at Boston Stadium ahead of time. They start at $175. Drivers can view traffic and road closures live on Mass511.
Which public transport will be open during the World Cup in Boston?
An express bus, run by Boston's host committee, is available to bring ticket holders to and from the World Cup games in Foxboro. A round-trip ticket will cost $95. Service begins more than four hours before a match starts.
The MBTA will also have a special train running on game days, beginning six hours before a match, and five hours after it ends.
The tickets cost $80 and can be bought through the MBTA mTicket app. Each ticket comes with a specified boarding group (A, B, C, D, or E), which corresponds to what time the train will depart South Station in Boston.
Fourteen trains are expected to carry around 20,000 passengers each day. However, the Foxboro Commuter Rail line will not run on game days. On those days, the MBTA is providing shuttle buses to get Foxboro line riders onto the Providence Line instead.
Other Commuter Rail lines will also be impacted by the World Cup, with service reduced.
The lines impacted are.
Fairmount Line – No service to Readville
Fall River/ New Bedford Line: From June 8 to July 12, only direct lines will run.
Needham Line: No weekend train service on June 13 and 14. Buses will bring commuters to the Green and Orange lines.
Stoughton Line: Shuttle buses to operate between Canton Junction and Stoughton on weekday games.
The MBTA said to expect Government Center, South Station, and Park Street stations to be busier than normal. They will also be extending service on the Green, Red, Blue, Orange, and Silver lines on match days until around 2 a.m. The first World Cup match on June 13 will have trains running until 4 a.m., they said.
The MBTA also has a guide on how to use and pay for the T if you are visiting Boston for the first time.
The city recommends that people consider walking to their destinations if they are able or utilizing one of the many Bluebikes in the city.
Map of impacted areas in Boston due to the World Cup
