The World Cup arrives in Philly. Here’s everything to know, either as a hardcore fan or just curious.
From bars to beer gardens, watch parties to pickup games, here’s a cheat sheet of what to do around town, whether you’re a native or you just dropped in for a match.
It’s been 32 years since the men’s edition of the FIFA World Cup was played on U.S. soil. The long wait culminates this week with Thursday’s tournament kickoff in Mexico City.
On Sunday, Philadelphia will host its first of six scheduled matches between June 14 and a knockout round finale on July 4 at Lincoln Financial Field, which was renamed “Philadelphia Stadium” by FIFA for the duration of the matches here in Philly.
Here’s everything you need to know …
The big picture
According to Visit Philadelphia, the city’s tourism arm, expect an influx of 500,000 visitors flocking into city bars, restaurants, hotels, and businesses throughout the city and surrounding suburbs. However, we’re hearing there are plenty of good Airbnb options to choose from.
But not all of those people have tickets or can afford to attend, with this being the most expensive World Cup ever. FIFA enacted dynamic pricing for the first time, which sent initial ticket prices soaring. And yes, that’s even for games that don’t feature nations that are favorites to win.
» READ MORE: Your complete Philly guide to the 2026 World Cup
Good news for those people: there are a ton of events happening over the course of Philly’s time in the tournament. From bars to beer gardens, watch parties to pickup games, here’s a cheat sheet of what to do around town, whether you’re a native or you just dropped in for a match.
In the case of the latter … “Yo. Welcome to Philly.”
So you have a ticket. Congrats.
First thing you should know is that you’re going to find very few people calling Lincoln Financial Field (or the “Linc” as it’s known around here) by FIFA’s official name for the South Philly venue.
There are a host of different ways to get there, but the most efficient and direct path is jumping on SEPTA’s Broad Street Line (Orange Line) and taking it to the last stop, NRG Station. From there, FIFA has signs all over the South Philly sports complex and will have volunteers outside the turnstiles, directing you where to go. Subway trains should be running just fine — a miracle, considering SEPTA workers used World Cup traffic as leverage to potentially go on strike.
It’s going to be hot, so you can bring water (aka “wooder”) into the stadium, a new decision by FIFA after it flipped its policy for the third time in a month. Now, 20-ounce water bottles are now allowed, down from the originally proposed and subsequently banned one-liter.
Once inside, you’ll see a colorful stadium retrofitted to support large crowds and a field designed with expert care.
Here’s hoping you got your tickets a bit cheaper than the initial asking price. Match prices in Philly and elsewhere have been astronomical.
Don’t have a ticket? All good.
This section is for those who love the sport but just can’t fathom paying those prices — and affording rent this month. Not to worry, the same passion will be on display in Philly’s Brewerytown neighborhood thanks to the FIFA Fan Festival, the sprawling party taking over Lemon Hill Park. The festival is free to enter and opens June 11, and will last all 39 days of the tournament.
Thinking about checking it out? Here’s a quick guide that includes:
How to register — entry is free but you need to sign up first
What you can bring and what you should leave at home.
When the event will be open each day.
How to get there, and get out.
And what locals are saying about the event.
The festival is a great way to get into the World Cup mood without spending hundreds on a ticket.
But if you’re looking to get a feel for the city’s soccer pulse without all the crowds, then we have a selection of bars and restaurants that are hosting watch parties, with some electing to stay open as late as 4 a.m. to accommodate soccer fans — so long as the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board permits.
Not a night owl? Here’s a list of a few watch parties, some you can even consider bringing the kids to. And if you’re just looking for things to do in between matches, go out to eat. You’ve chosen to be in one of America’s best food cities with scores of award-winning chefs within a 20-mile radius of each other.
To get a real sense of Philly’s swag, you need to taste the essentials: Our best cheesesteaks, our best hoagies (aka subs), and our best water ice and gelati, regional summertime treats that are totally not the same as Italian ice and soft serve.
And if you’re looking to get past the basics while celebrating America’s 250th birthday, foodies can consider trying Philly’s 76 most iconic dishes or most essential restaurants. We dare you to try to catch them all like Pokémon.
Who is playing in Philly and when?
Nine teams are coming through Philly, and one, Ivory Coast, has set up its World Cup headquarters just outside the city in Wilmington. The Ivorians are training at the new WSFS Sportsplex, which opened late last year in Chester, and on Monday, their fans brought quite the party.
Here’s the full schedule of the group stage matches in Philly, with guides for all the nations playing here, including what to know about each, how they qualified, and for some, their unique footprint in the city:
How much do you know about the teams headed to Philly? Test your soccer knowledge with our World Cup quiz.
On July 4 at 5 p.m., Philly will host one final match, a round of 16 knockout game that has a very slim chance of including the U.S. men’s national team.
Philly’s rich soccer scene and history
Chester is the city that hosts Philly’s professional soccer team, the Philadelphia Union. This club went from being one of the league’s best last season to the bottom of the standings heading into a seven-week break for the World Cup.
However, over the last several weeks, the team has cleaned house in preparation for the return of games on July 22, after:
Firing its head coach and appointing an area native as its interim.
Hiring a new sporting director after the old one was dismissed for “substantiated” misconduct.
And ownership promising more of an investment to bring in additional talent.
In the meantime, the team is focused on the World Cup and plans to host a series of watch parties at Union Yards, its beer garden across from the stadium.
Philly also has a unique soccer history that extends far beyond the Union, from coal-like cinder fields played on by future World Cup legends like Walter Bahr, to a former executive with a well-known last name that brought the city this close to hosting the event in 1994.
Storylines and controversies abound
Take a daily look inside U.S. national team camp, courtesy of dispatches from Inquirer soccer writer Jonathan Tannenwald, who is reporting live from California.
Players, referees, and fans have been subjected to massive checks, with either full or partial bans on over 70 nations, many with teams competing in the tournament.
Here’s what city officials are saying about the World Cup, and the lengths some city council members are going to educate visitors to know when it comes to concerns around Immigration & Customs Enforcement.
There has been no shortage of opinions about the massive levels of greed surrounding this larger edition of the tournament and the hypocrisy of FIFA by calling their approach to the game “Football for All.”
Experts this week warned World Cup fans traveling around North America to be aware of the these communicable diseases.
Also, know that you can follow the Inquirer’s coverage of all things “football,” “futbol,” “futebol,“ “voetbal,” or soccer right here.
Nine nations will compete in five group stage matches this summer, plus two more in a knockout game on July 4. Here’s what you need to know about those countries — and what those fans need to know about Philly. Click here for more.
