Boston Wins 2026 World Cup Bid, Gillette Stadium To Host

The 2026 World Cup is coming to Boston. Well… sorta.

Gillette Stadium — which is in Foxborough, Mass. and not Boston — was selected as one of the host sights for the World Cup in 2026 on Thursday by FIFA. Boston is one of the 16 host cities selected by the international soccer organization to represent North America in 2026.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft was the honorary chairman of the North American bid, and expressed great interest in bringing the event back to New England in Sept. 2021.

“We look forward to hosting, hopefully, six games here and the quarterfinals like we did back in ’94 when we had Italy versus Spain,” Kraft said. “We look forward to the World Cup in 2026 coming right here to Gillette Stadium.”

As part of Foxborough’s bid to become a host city, it is expected that Gillette Stadium will replace synthetic turf for real grass and fix the irrigation system to care for the new surface. The renovations are also expected to include the removal of sideline seats in order to meet playing surface size requirements.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first that features a 48-team field, giving Foxborough a few extra games than the typical host site. It will be the first World Cup game hosted in Massachusetts since Foxborough Stadium hosted in 1994.