With one yr till the FIFA World Cup, a brand new report Wednesday projected seven matches scheduled to be held in Boston in 2026 are anticipated to herald a monumental $1.1 billion in native financial influence to New England.
“People are going to come from all over the world, all over the country, to watch teams play in Massachusetts,” stated Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday. “It’s super exciting.”
Boston is scheduled to host seven matches all through the 2026 soccer match, together with one quarterfinal recreation. The matches shall be held at Gillette Stadium, which shall be briefly renamed Boston Stadium in the course of the occasions, and run from June 13 to July 9.
New projections from Boston 2026 Host Committee and Meet Boston forecast over two million guests staying and spending within the New England area for the video games, facilitating the anticipated $1.1 billion in financial influence.
The matches are anticipated to create over 5,000 jobs and generate over $60 million in tax income by means of the area, the report states.
“Hosting the most-watched international sporting event on the planet will bring millions of global fans to the region,” stated Mike Loynd, CEO of FIFA World Cup Boston 2026. “As we gear up for this monumental event, hosting seven matches including a quarter-final game in Boston Stadium, we are incredibly proud and excited to showcase how Boston does sports.”
Town unveiled a countdown clock to tick off the moments till the beginning of the match at Faneuil Corridor and an “It All Started Here” marketing campaign takeover at South Station to focus on the one-year mark Wednesday.
Boston final held six matches of the FIFA World Cup as one among 9 host cities in 1994. The 2026 match would be the largest ever with 60 matches within the U.S., 10 in Canada and 10 in Mexico. Forty-eight groups and over 1,100 gamers are scheduled to take part.
Organizers are “working diligently to ensure that fans from around the world will have the best and most memorable experience possible when they come to Boston Stadium,” stated Meet Boston CEO Martha Sheridan, including that “globally, all eyes will be on Boston.”
The groups taking part in in Boston shall be decided later this yr in the course of the official draw.
Healey was requested Wednesday concerning the impact of journey bans and federal insurance policies anticipated to influence tourism heading into 2026.
“I know that we as a team in Massachusetts are going to do everything we can to promote Massachusetts,” Healey stated. “This is a great opportunity for tourism, a great opportunity for our economy, and that’s what we’re really focused on. So in terms of how other things may factor in and play out, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Occasions main into the FIFA match, together with the FIFA Fan Pageant and extra, shall be introduced all year long, organizers stated, and extra data might be discovered at BostonFWC26.com.
