World Cup traffic warning for Massachusetts drivers: "Stay away from the stadium"
Whether you're attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Foxboro, Massachusetts or not, transportation officials have a message for anyone who will be traveling around the area on match days: Plan ahead.
"FIFA is not your typical event," highway administrator Jonathan Gulliver said Monday. "This is like a Taylor Swift concert, playoff series, the World Series and Super Bowl all in one place."
There are seven matches scheduled at Gillette Stadium - soon to be renamed "Boston Stadium" for the World Cup - between June 13 and July 9. All but one are on weekdays.
"Those weekday ones, especially on the Tuesdays and Fridays, are going to be difficult," Gulliver said. "The guarantee is that there's going to be a lot of extra traffic."
"Kick the Drive"
MassDOT has launched a "Kick the Drive" campaign to encourage people to avoid driving to the stadium on match days.
The MBTA Commuter Rail is running special trains from Boston's South Station to the stadium that can accommodate 20,000 fans for each match. Tickets are $80 round-trip.
There is also a World Cup bus service from Logan Airport, Providence and hotels around Greater Boston to Foxboro. Bus tickets are $95 each.
There will be "dynamic bus lanes" on Route 1 near the stadium to help ensure that the buses don't get stuck in traffic.
"if you are on a bus, you're going to get priority service," Gulliver said.
Anyone still intent on driving to the stadium should buy a parking pass in advance now, Gulliver said. The cheapest passes available for the first match are $175. There are usually 20,000 parking spaces available during New England Patriots games, but parking is limited to 5,000 spots for the World Cup matches.
"Don't hop in your car and throw Gillette Stadium in your mapping app," he said. "Plan ahead, make sure you know which parking lot you're going to, which route you're going to take."
World Cup traffic concerns
Traffic was a major issue during a friendly match at the stadium in March between Brazil and France.
"I'll say it. It sucked. The traffic was bad," Foxboro Police Chief Michael Grace said.
GPS apps guided drivers to side streets, creating bumper-to-bumper traffic there. Some Foxboro residents said fans were using their yards as bathrooms.
Anyone who doesn't have a ticket to see the soccer is urged to avoid the area on match days.
"If you don't have to travel in and around the area, we really want you to stay away from the stadium if you can help it," Gulliver said. "Work remote for that day if that's an opportunity for you."
