Philadelphia says it's ready for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Here's its safety and transportation plan.
The FIFA fan store sits nearly complete, surrounded by metal scaffolding, construction equipment and dozens of workers. The build-up at Lemon Hill continues as the city prepares for the kickoff of the FIFA Fan Festival, now just nine days away.
Ahead of the global event coming to the city, leaders at City Hall on Tuesday professed one message.
"One thing is clear: Philadelphia is ready," Jazelle Jones, city representative and director of special events, said.
"I wish the thing was starting tomorrow, I'll be honest with you," Chuck Ramsey, former Philadelphia Police Department commissioner and Philadelphia Soccer 2026 security coordinator, said. "We're ready to rock and roll, don't you think?"
Ramsey's comment led to Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel playfully handing him the commissioner's cap. But the moment underscored the challenges of policing an event of this size and scale.
The World Cup will bring 39 consecutive days of a fan festival at Lemon Hill in Fairmount Park, plus a handful of matches at Lincoln Financial Field and thousands of international visitors spread across the city.
FIFA events will also, occasionally, overlap with America 250 celebrations, including a round-of-16 knockout game on the Fourth of July.
PPD's FIFA World Cup safety plan similar to Eagles' Super Bowl
Bethel says the police department has spent years planning for this. While he wouldn't directly lay out the department's staffing plans, the commissioner did give some insight into the vast police presence people should expect to see.
"For July 4, you'll see staffing to the level we did for the Super Bowl parade. We'll be in the thousands as it relates to that," Bethel said. "For the soccer games, we will eclipse into one of the largest events, absent having a Super Bowl, the NFC championship. We will be at that level for the games."
Philadelphia police will not be acting alone, however. There is strong coordination between police, the Office of Emergency Management, Philadelphia Soccer 2026 security and state and federal agencies. Neighboring suburban departments will also help provide staff for the event, according to Bethel.
The police commissioner says while their response to these historic events will be large, it won't come at the expense of the department's everyday obligations.
"FIFA is going to be engaged, but yes, we still have a responsibility to protect our communities," Bethel said, "and we will make sure we continue to do that."
Police will also roll out a new tool for the World Cup, a live translator run through officers' body-worn cameras that will allow them to better communicate with international visitors. Bethel says it's a good time to roll out the tool, which will also help the department moving forward in talking with non-English-speaking residents.
What are "hospitality hubs"?
Leaders say events happening in the summer heat could also be a concern for some. To that end, the city will open hospitality hubs lining the Benjamin Franklin Parkway leading up to Lemon Hill.
"Use the bathroom, get some water, get some suntan, get some shade," Susan Slawson, Philadelphia's commissioner of Parks and Recreation, said.
The city says the hospitality hubs will be open daily throughout the tournament and offer water, bathrooms, visitor information and maps
SEPTA to offer additional service, South Broad Concourse reopens
Moving these tens of thousands of people also presents a challenge, one SEPTA leaders say they're up to.
The transit authority will increase the frequency of bus routes near Lemon Hill to every 15 minutes, and it will keep the cost of a bus, subway, or regional rail ride as-is during the World Cup. They will also have people in place to help everyone get where they need to go.
"More than 700 employee ambassadors are going to be deployed across the system to help riders and answer questions," SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said.
For those heading to the stadium complex, the sports express trains on the Broad Street Line will operate for every World Cup match. SEPTA also permanently reopened South Broad Concourse, connecting City Hall and the Walnut-Locust station that's been closed since 2020 to help better move people.
But even with the increased capacity, Sauer warns you should plan to get there early.
"We can transport about 15,000 people per hour on the B. Up to 40,000 fans are expected to take the subway for each match," Sauer said. "So that's two to three hours to and from the game. We'll get you there and back. We just ask that everyone has patience."
City officials are also offering ways to keep people informed about all the events and security announcements. You can download the free Access Philly App to find out where and when everything is happening. You can text CUPPHL to 888777 for all World Cup-related safety alerts. Organizers have also launched a WhatsApp channel for FIFA alerts.
