Boston's World Cup home in Foxborough, the open-air fortress of the NFL's Patriots, hosts seven matches at the 2026 World Cup, climbing from the group stage to a quarter-final on 9 July in which France beat Morocco 2-0 to reach the semi-finals. A grass pitch was grown just for the tournament, over the stadium's usual artificial turf. FIFA calls it Boston Stadium during the tournament.
Updated 19 July 2026 · WorldCuply.com editorial · Independent, not affiliated with FIFA
7
Matches hosted
~65,000
World Cup capacity
2002
Year opened
QF
Deepest stage
The Venue
New England's football fortress goes global
Gillette Stadium, in Foxborough about 22 miles southwest of downtown Boston and roughly midway to Providence, opened in 2002 and is the home of the NFL's New England Patriots and MLS's New England Revolution. For three weeks in the summer of 2026 the open-air bowl at the heart of the Patriot Place complex became one of the World Cup's most-used northern venues.
Boston hosts seven matches: five in the group stage, one Round of 32 tie and one quarter-final on 9 July, the deepest stage the venue reaches. Unlike the roofed, air-conditioned stadiums to the south, Gillette is open to the New England sky, so its football was played in natural summer conditions, generally milder than Dallas, Houston or Miami.
Under FIFA's clean-venue sponsorship policy the ground is called Boston Stadium during the tournament, because its commercial name, Gillette Stadium, belongs to a non-FIFA sponsor. For how it sits among all 16 venues, see our stadiums and host cities hub.
Editor's Spotlight
Match 97: France end Morocco's run
Quarter-final · Match 97
France 2-0 Morocco
Date
Thu 9 Jul 2026
Kickoff
4:00 PM local
Venue
Gillette · Boston
Stage
Quarter-final
The biggest occasion of Boston's World Cup came on 9 July, when France met Morocco in the quarter-finals, a rematch of the 2022 semi-final. Both had already appeared in Foxborough during the group stage, and both had come through the knockouts, but it was France who controlled the last-eight tie, winning 2-0 to book a semi-final place.
It was the deepest stage Gillette Stadium reached, and it launched France on a run that ended only in the semi-final against eventual finalists Spain. Morocco again proved the standout African force of the era before bowing out. To see how the last eight lined up across all venues, read our quarter-finals preview.
Boston Schedule
All seven 2026 World Cup matches at Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium hosted five group-stage matches, one Round of 32 tie and one quarter-final, seven in total. Times below are local Eastern Time. As an open-air venue, several Boston fixtures kicked off in the late afternoon or evening.
Match #
Date / Kickoff (local)
Fixture / Result
Stage
5
Sat 13 Jun · 9:00 PM
Haiti 0-1 Scotland
Group C
18
Tue 16 Jun · 6:00 PM
Iraq 1-4 Norway
Group I
30
Fri 19 Jun · 6:00 PM
Scotland 0-1 Morocco
Group C
45
Tue 23 Jun · 4:00 PM
England 0-0 Ghana
Group L
61
Fri 26 Jun · 3:00 PM
Norway 1-4 France
Group I
74
Mon 29 Jun · 4:30 PM
Germany 1-1 Paraguay(4-3 pens)
Round of 32
97
Thu 9 Jul · 4:00 PM
France 2-0 Morocco
Quarter-final
France played twice in Boston, thrashing Norway in Group I before the quarter-final win over Morocco. Scotland and Norway also appeared twice each, while Morocco returned for the last eight. The city saw Haiti, England and Ghana too, and a dramatic Round of 32 shootout in which Paraguay knocked out Germany. For the full grid in your own local time, use our schedule and calendar.
Design & Pitch
Open air, and a pitch grown from scratch
Gillette Stadium is a classic open-air American football bowl, with a distinctive lighthouse and bridge structure at the north end overlooking Patriot Place. For the Patriots and Revolution it plays on artificial FieldTurf, which made it one of the venues that needed the most pitch work for the World Cup: FIFA requires natural grass, so a temporary grass surface was grown off-site and installed for the tournament.
Being open to the sky, Boston's matches were played in real New England summer weather, generally kinder than the southern host cities but still warm enough that several games kicked off later in the day. The grass-over-turf conversion is one of the recurring stories of a World Cup staged largely in NFL stadiums, a theme we pick up in our venues hub.
Capacity
~65,000
The World Cup capacity. Gillette Stadium seats roughly 65,900 for the Patriots, adjusted for the tournament to fit FIFA's larger pitch and media positions.
Roof
Open air
No roof. Matches were played in the open New England summer, with kick-off times managed to avoid the warmest part of the day.
Surface
Grass
A temporary natural-grass pitch grown and laid for the tournament, replacing the stadium's usual artificial FieldTurf to meet FIFA's grass-only rule.
Getting There
How to reach Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium sits in Foxborough, roughly halfway between Boston and Providence, and is more car-oriented than the big-city downtown venues, though special event trains make it reachable from Boston without driving.
Event trains: the MBTA runs special commuter-rail services on the Foxboro line from Boston's South Station directly to the stadium on event days, the easiest public-transport option to and from the city.
Airports: Boston Logan International (BOS) is around 30 miles northeast, and T.F. Green International (PVD) near Providence around 20 miles south.
Driving and parking: the stadium is off Route 1 near Interstate 95, ringed by large parking lots, but matchday traffic in and out of Foxborough is heavy, so allow plenty of time.
Patriot Place: the adjoining shopping, dining and hotel complex means fans can arrive early and spend the day on site.
Fan Experience
A New England welcome
Boston brought its deep sports culture to the World Cup, and Greater Boston's large European, African and Caribbean communities filled Gillette for fixtures like England, Scotland, Morocco and Ghana. The France quarter-final was the hottest ticket, but the group games and the Paraguay-Germany shootout gave the venue plenty of drama. Away from Foxborough, downtown Boston's history trail, Cambridge and the waterfront gave travelling fans a classic New England base between matches.
How many 2026 World Cup matches does Gillette Stadium host?
Seven. Boston stages five group-stage matches, one Round of 32 tie and one quarter-final on 9 July. The quarter-final is the deepest stage the Gillette Stadium venue reaches in 2026.
What is Gillette Stadium called during the World Cup?
Boston Stadium. Under FIFA's clean-venue sponsorship policy the commercial name Gillette Stadium is not used in FIFA materials during the tournament, so the venue appears as Boston Stadium on tickets, broadcast graphics and the official fixture list.
What was the biggest match at Gillette Stadium in 2026?
The quarter-final on 9 July, when France beat Morocco 2-0 to reach the semi-finals. It was the deepest stage the Boston venue reached and the biggest occasion of the city's World Cup.
Does Gillette Stadium have grass or turf for the World Cup?
Grass for the tournament. Gillette Stadium normally uses an artificial FieldTurf surface for the Patriots and Revolution, but FIFA requires natural grass, so a temporary grass pitch was grown off-site and laid in the stadium for the 2026 World Cup.
Does Gillette Stadium have a roof?
No. Gillette Stadium is an open-air venue, so its 2026 World Cup matches were played in the open New England summer weather. Several Boston fixtures kicked off in the late afternoon or evening to ease the heat, though conditions there are usually milder than the southern host cities.
What is the capacity of Gillette Stadium for the World Cup?
Around 65,000 for the 2026 World Cup. Gillette Stadium's regular capacity for the Patriots is close to 65,900, adjusted slightly for the tournament to fit FIFA's larger pitch and media positions.
Where is Gillette Stadium and when did it open?
Gillette Stadium is in Foxborough, Massachusetts, about 22 miles southwest of downtown Boston and roughly midway to Providence, Rhode Island. It opened in 2002 and is home to the NFL's New England Patriots and MLS's New England Revolution, alongside the Patriot Place shopping and entertainment complex.
Which teams played at Gillette Stadium in 2026?
The group stage brought Haiti vs Scotland on 13 June, Iraq vs Norway on 16 June, Scotland vs Morocco on 19 June, England vs Ghana on 23 June and Norway vs France on 26 June. Paraguay knocked out Germany on penalties in a Round of 32 tie on 29 June, then France beat Morocco 2-0 in the quarter-final on 9 July. France, Scotland, Norway and Morocco each played twice in Boston.
How do I get to Gillette Stadium on a matchday?
Gillette Stadium is car-oriented, off Route 1 near Interstate 95 in Foxborough. On event days the MBTA runs special commuter-rail trains on the Foxboro line from Boston's South Station directly to the stadium, the easiest public-transport option. Boston Logan International Airport is around 30 miles northeast, and T.F. Green Airport near Providence around 20 miles south. Large parking lots surround the stadium and Patriot Place for those driving.
Did Gillette Stadium host a World Cup final or semi-final?
No. Boston reached the quarter-finals on 9 July. The semi-finals were staged in Dallas and Atlanta, the third-place playoff in Miami on 18 July, and the Final at MetLife Stadium in the New York and New Jersey area on 19 July.
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