'I was stunned - it’s like a spaceship': Inside the World Cup 2026 stadium experience through fans’ eyes

We are halfway through the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 23rd iteration of soccer’s biggest tournament. It is the biggest of its kind, with an unprecedented 48 teams competing for the ultimate prize. In order to hold these 104 matches, FIFA have gone with three host nations in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the second World Cup to be held in multiple countries after the 2002 edition in Japan and South Korea. 13 of these matches are being held in Canada, with 7 in Vancouver and 6 in Toronto. 13 are being held in Mexico, with 5 in Mexico City and 4 apiece in Monterrey and Guadalajara.

The other 78 are being held in the United States, with California (Los Angeles and Santa Clara) and Texas (Dallas and Houston) both having two host venues. Philadelphia, New York / New Jersey, and Boston represent the Northeast corridor, Miami and Atlanta represent the Southeast, whilst Kansas City and Seattle represent the Midwest and Pacific Northwest. But whilst every single one of these 16 stadiums is getting the chance to host the biggest competition in sports, it’s evident that not all of these stadiums share the same virtues.

More from Football News

A fan’s World Cup journey

For Kemal, who travelled from Norway to support his beloved Bosnia and Herzegovina, he found two vastly different cities during his West Coast journey. “Both were amazing experiences but very different: Los Angeles is huge, loud, and full of energy, everything is on a massive scale,” stated Kemal to Firstpost.

“Seattle felt more chilled, cleaner, greener, and had a really nice vibe. The atmosphere there felt more intimate somehow. Both were great experiences, but Seattle surprised me in the best way. People were also friendlier and more polite in Seattle: everywhere we went, you could hear ‘Let's Go Bosnia.’ Seeing Americans in Seattle in Bosnian jerseys and gear was something special and made me feel proud.”

“As far as the stadiums go, SoFi in LA wins easily. It's the most modern stadium I've ever been in. I was stunned - it’s like a spaceship, simply jaw-dropping,” stated Kemal, who feasted on both American fare as well as Bosnian food during his time in California, meeting up with relatives in Irvine and conversing over heaping plates of cevapi.

“It’s by far the best stadium experience ever, and I have been to many stadiums worldwide. It has better infrastructure and facilities than Seattle, and it was also easier to make it to the stadium: getting in and out was surprisingly smooth and fast for such a huge venue. Seattle was a different story. Getting in and out took forever, especially leaving. The layout just isn't built for big crowds moving quickly. Seattle's stadium is narrower and feels much more cramped in comparison, but boy, did it deliver in terms of atmosphere and the loud noise…my ears still hurt! It was a better atmosphere at Lumen for sure, with a fantastic outcome for us, making us progress to the Round of 32.”

A drone view shows SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Image: Reuters

Ireland fans experience World Cup fever without home team

As soon as Bosnia edged Italy on penalties to book their ticket to the World Cup after 12 years, Kemal did not hesitate to request time off from work and arrange travel and tickets to watch the Golden Lillies in action. But even fans whose teams failed to qualify have made the trek to North America to watch the FIFA World Cup. Even with the Republic of Ireland losing on penalties to Czechia in the UEFA playoff semifinals, missing out on their first World Cup since 2002, Liam decided to head to the West Coast alongside his fellow compatriot and nursing colleague to watch a couple of matches.

“The World Cup buzz is outstanding here. The host cities have been amazing: everything is compact downtown in Vancouver, easy transport in and out, we met up with a big group of Aussies and saw Turks holding signs like ‘Kebabs over Schnitzels,’ and the contrast of red and yellow,” stated Liam to Firstpost.

“The Aussies are a little bit sarcastic, saying ‘You’re just a s**t Christmas dinner.’ It really felt like a big gameday; you could feel the city come alive, and the fans took over the streets. We were lucky enough to be in the mix of it and see thousands of Australians march towards the stadium. It was well-positioned and well-marshalled throughout the city by police; it was very safe, even though there were flares. BC Place is in the heart of Vancouver’s downtown, and you get to see the water in the background. As soon as you go into the ground, there’s a massive stadium with a cover and the lights flying up, it’s a little bit stuffy. It was all easy to get in and out: it was a really good experience.”

Liam initially flew with his friend from Dublin to Vancouver to watch Türkiye play Australia, before heading south to Seattle for Belgium vs. Egypt. But whilst they thought they would be traveling to San Francisco in their RV, they soon found out that their game was in Santa Clara, where the only places that you can station your RV are distant RV parks. Not wanting to have their RV towed, they were forced to sell their tickets for Jordan vs. Algeria before making their way to Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

“We stayed in Chinatown, a five-minute walk from Lumen Field, which, as opposed to in Vancouver, was in the middle of the day. Some fans were checking where their seat was going to be as they didn’t know if the sun was going to blind or burn them…we don’t get that in Ireland, so that was mad. It was all very healthy fun, no fights, and it was great to see the atmosphere building up. That’ll stay with me forever.”

“Seattle is an amazing host city, and Lumen Field’s backdrop of Seattle’s massive skyscrapers and the Pacific Ocean takes your breath away…it’ll stay with me forever. The people in Seattle were lovely…we’ve been very lucky in every place we’ve gone to. It was easier getting into BC Place than Lumen Field, which took a bit longer, and people were checking their watches. There were bigger lines to the bathroom in Lumen Field than BC Place, but both bathrooms were sanitary and clean. Everything is bigger in America: there was a massive presence of fans, and you saw people serving you food in Mexico jerseys. Every person you meet is wearing jerseys and talking about the World Cup; they’re so excited…the World Cup experience so far has been fantastic.”

General view of Lumen Field in Seattle. Image: Reuters

World Cup final venue under the spotlight

Over in the Northeast, no stadium will have a more prominent role than MetLife Stadium, or New York / New Jersey Stadium, as it is known in FIFA’s current sponsor-free nomenclature. It will host eight matches, level with Los Angeles and Atlanta, and second only to Dallas (9). And just like last summer’s FIFA Club World Cup, it will host the final. Although there are plenty of benefits to this stadium, located in East Rutherford, NJ, there are also quite a few drawbacks. Namely, the fact that it is against the law to walk to the stadium has resulted in consistent traffic bottlenecks and a generally frustrating transportation experience for matchgoing fans.

“The yellow line bus shuttle transportation was reliable and a more feasible option than the $150 transport option, but the only major delay was getting through the lines during the wait before and after taking the shuttle to and from the venue,” stated Felipe, who attended the Norway vs. Senegal match in New Jersey. “The pre-match activities were relatively enjoyable but overcrowded and could have benefitted from more spacing and maybe seating areas. The stadium itself looks decent, but some visible signs of aging.”

A view of New Jersey stadium during Norway vs Senegal game. Image: Zach/Firstpost

“All the staff and vendors were super resourceful and attentive — a very good customer experience overall. The game was in full attendance  (80,663 people), and it felt very organized in the 120 section that I sat in. Overall, the stadium was well run given the weather, attendance, and importance of the event. Walkability will always be the main complaint; they should address this sooner rather than later. The best part about MetLife was the ambiance and attendees; everyone was pretty respectful. But the worst part was the older infrastructure, lack of affordable and/or walkable options to access the stadium (also, the ban on tailgates was felt, and needed more of that). It was just a parking lot full of cars.”

Expert reveals the best venues of World Cup 2026

Perhaps nobody is better equipped to speak on the topic of World Cup stadiums than Pepe Del Bosque, a Mexican commentator who has served as Telemundo’s color analyst during this FIFA World Cup. He’s been everywhere from Boston, Seattle, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Dallas, Toronto, and Miami, and he isn’t slowing down.

“I think every stadium has its charm, especially coming from Latin America, they are stadiums that visually impress with their elevated infrastructure,” stated Del Bosque to Firstpost. “But in terms of commentating matches, Boston’s positioning isn’t that much of an issue for analysts because they can detect movements from above. But in terms of being close and centered to the pitch, Boston’s commentary box is a lot higher up than Seattle's. I liked the two cities, but Seattle has a special vibe next to the sea.”

General view of Dallas Stadium in Texas. Image: Reuters

“Dallas’ stadium is impressive – its jumbotron is hypnotic, you can spend a few minutes accidentally watching the screen more than the field without even realizing it. I loved Santa Clara, especially the commentary position, which is where it should be: below the luxury boxes, and not next to the boxes and in front of the sun…it was a success. Los Angeles is also in a very good position: it’s above, but you can see well, and it also has that incredible Jumbotron. In terms of modernity, Los Angeles and Dallas are the best. Toronto is very good because it’s a small stadium that is adept at hosting World Cup games: Santa Clara and Toronto have the best commentary positioning. Miami’s positioning is high, but the stadium is incredible, with an entire world inside.”