I built this site over two months in early 2026 after spending way too long trying to find one decent multi-city travel guide for the World Cup. There wasn't one. There were 12 generic "top 10 things to do in Mexico City" articles, three Booking.com landing pages dressed up as content, and a handful of legacy publications recycling 2014 advice.
So I built this. 220 pages, every host city, every stadium, every fixture, plus six longer guides that go deeper than the standard listicle. Road-trip distances between cities. The actual hotel price difference if you sleep one neighborhood over. Points-and-miles strategy for the tournament window. Stadium parking, lot by lot. Fan zones with realistic crowd expectations. Match-day briefings with kickoff times in local time and bag policies cited from the venue itself, not a third-party blog from 2022.
Who I am
I've been a soccer fan since the late 1990s, made it to two World Cups in person (Russia 2018 and a week of Qatar 2022), and watched the rest of them religiously from wherever life had me at the time. The 2026 tournament is different because it spans three countries and most fans following a single team will move between two or three host cities. There was no single resource for that. So this is the one I wished existed.
What's actually inside
- 16 city guides. Where to stay (with cheaper alternatives one neighborhood over), where to eat (not the chains), how transit works on match day, what's worth a half-day if you have one.
- 16 stadium guides. Capacity, transit lines, bag policy, parking lot pricing, and the one route nobody mentions.
- 104 match-day briefings. Local kickoff time, what to bring, what gets confiscated at the gate, transit advice for after the final whistle.
- 6 deep guides. Road-trip distances, secondary-city hotel savings, points and miles, ticket pricing by stage, stadium parking, and a realistic look at fan zones.
How I research
I haven't been to all 16 host cities. I've been to nine. The other seven are written from research, conversations with locals, and a stack of guidebooks for cross-referencing. When I lean on someone else's expertise, I cite them at the bottom of the page. Lonely Planet, Time Out, Eater, the Michelin Guide, the local tourism boards. The list is open.
Prices, transit schedules, and match-day rules change. I update guides when I spot a change and date them so you can tell whether the information is fresh. If you find something wrong, please tell me. I read everything that lands at the contact address.
The business model
Hotel, flight, eSIM, insurance, and ticket links carry affiliate codes. If you book through them I earn a small commission, usually somewhere between 2 and 8 percent of the booking. The commission is paid by the merchant, not added to your price. That is the entire business model. No paywall. No display ads. No newsletter pop-ups. No autoplay video.
I won't recommend something because the commission is higher. I'll recommend it because it's the better option for the fan reading the page. When two options are roughly equivalent I'll usually pair them and let you pick. The methodology is laid out in detail on the trust page.
Not affiliated with FIFA
This site is not endorsed by, affiliated with, or sponsored by FIFA, the United States Soccer Federation, the Football Association of Canada, the Mexican Football Federation, or any official tournament partner. Match data and schedules are public information. Photographs are credited where required.
Get in touch
If you spot a mistake, want to add a tip from your home city, or just want to talk about the tournament, the address is contact@worldcuptravelguide2026.com . I usually answer within a day or two.
Enjoy the tournament. Drink water. Show up early.