Distances between stadiums and games for World Cup 2026 mean fans need to plan carefully, according to Air Charter Service.
World Cup fans should plan early and carefully, according to Air Charter Service.
The most recent World Cup tournament was held in Qatar in 2022.
The longest distance between the eight stadiums was 50 miles.
However, the 2026 edition will see matches played across North America.
The U.S., Canada, and Mexico will all see action.
“With the tournament expanded from 32 to 48 teams, this will be the biggest World Cup ever, and the matches are in 16 stadiums, spread across four time zones, some more than 3,400 miles apart,” says Air Charter Service Commercial Director Alex Sadat-Shafai.
He explains, “The largest single distance between stadiums is Vancouver to Miami, but that won’t happen in the group stages.”
He adds, “There are several more stadium pairings that exceed 2,000 miles, making it a logistical nightmare, not just for the teams, but also the fans.”
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Western Region matches include Vancouver, Seattle, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Los Angeles.
The Central Region includes Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, Guadalajara, Mexico, and Monterrey.
Eastern Region games will be played in Atlanta, Boston, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Toronto.
Sadat-Shafai notes, “Algeria and their fans, in Group J, have the longest distance to travel in the group stages,” adding, “After their first game at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco, they travel to Kansas’s Arrowhead Stadium, before heading back to San Francisco, racking up a total of 3,685 miles.”
Sadat-Shafai adds, “When it comes to England’s group, they play Croatia at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, just outside Dallas, before travelling more than 1,800 miles to Gillette Stadium in Boston, to face Ghana.”
H notes, “Based on current airlines’ schedules, there simply won’t be enough direct flights for fans to travel between the two cities in time.”
The final is scheduled for July 19, 2026, in New York/New Jersey.
Play starts June 11, 2026, in Guadalajara and Mexico City.
Next-day matches are set for Los Angeles and Toronto.
Air Charter Service arranged over 350 private jet charter flights for fans attending the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where long distances between venues also made travel difficult.
Fans will also need to inquire about special event fees implemented by FBOs.
READ: FBO special event fees are getting bigger and wider. What’s next?
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