Let the games begin

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The wait is over.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has officially begun, with the tournament opening in Mexico City and the first Massachusetts match tomorrow. Haiti and Scotland will kick off at "Boston Stadium" on Saturday at 9 p.m. in Foxborough, bringing a once-in-a-generation sporting event to the state.

For months, the conversation has centered on planning, transportation, security, volunteers and whether Boston was truly ready. 

So before the first whistle blows in Massachusetts, here's the World Cup — by the numbers.

• 48 — National teams competing in the largest World Cup ever.

• 104 — Total matches scheduled across North America before a champion is crowned on July 19.

• 7 — Matches that will be played at Boston Stadium in Foxborough.

• 2 — Teams in Saturday's Massachusetts opener: Haiti and Scotland.

• 28 — Years since Scotland's last World Cup appearance. The Scots last qualified in 1998.

• 52 — Years since Haiti's only previous World Cup appearance, in 1974.

• 1,104 — Free tickets made available through Gov. Maura Healey's youth ticket initiative.

• 3 a.m. — The new last call under a state law for World Cup summer, allowing bars and clubs in cities like Boston, Cambridge and Somerville to stay open later than usual. 

• $80 — Cost of a round-trip MBTA World Cup train ticket between South Station and Foxborough.

• 20,000 — Fans the MBTA hopes to transport to and from each match.

• $35.5 million — Estimated MBTA operating costs associated with World Cup transportation and game-day operations, according to StreetsBlog Mass. 

• 27 — Miles separating Boston and Foxborough, creating one of the tournament's most unique transportation challenges in the country.

• 1,500 — Volunteers across Greater Boston stepping into World Cup duty, from guiding visitors in Foxborough-bound transit lines to helping manage watch party crowds downtown.

• 1 — Official FIFA countdown clock outside Faneuil Hall that briefly stopped working, then returned just in time for kickoff.

• 0 — Public practices available for fans hoping to watch top-ranked France train at Bentley University.

• 2 — Screens many Massachusetts sports fans will need Saturday night: one for Haiti-Scotland in Foxborough, one for Knicks-Spurs Game 5 of the NBA Finals tipping off at 8:30.

• Unknown — Number of Scots on Boston Common wearing kilts this past week.

• Uncountable — Number of times Massachusetts residents will complain about traffic before Saturday night's kickoff.

Welcome to the World Cup, Massachusetts. – Sam Drysdale

Sam Drysdale is a reporter for the State House News Service. Reach her at [email protected].  

Ask your Senator to support S. 1114 and S. 1124 for Clean Slate legislation because an old CORI should not mean a lifetime of blocked opportunities.

9:30 | Gov. Healey welcomes President of Cabo Verde José Maria Neves to the State House ahead of the Cabo Verde team playing in the World Cup | Bulfinch Entrance

11:45 | Lt. Gov. Driscoll, Veteran Services Secretary Goralnick and Veterans Services Deputy Secretary Gayle-Bennett honor Pembroke resident Truc DeCoste as the 2026 Deborah Sampson Award winner during the annual Women Veterans Recognition Day ceremony | Memorial Hall

2:00 | FIFA Fan Festival Boston opens, featuring livestreaming of the Canada vs. Bosnia Herzegovina match at 3 p.m. and the 9 p.m. tilt between USA and Paraguay. Advance registration required | City Hall Plaza, 1 City Hall Square, Boston

2:30 | Gov. Healey joins First Lady Lydgate to visit the French National team Les Bleus at their World Cup training site | Bentley University, 175 Forest St, Waltham

2:30 | Mayor Wu delivers remarks at a ceremony recognizing the Guinness World Record for the largest soccer ball | Piers Park II, 6 Marginal Street, East Boston

6:00 | Gov. Healey attends a Scotland Kick Off Reception | The State Room, 60 State Street, 33rd floor, Boston

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PRIMARY CARE PROPOSAL ARRIVES: The Senate on Thursday rolled out long-awaited primary care legislation that aims to increase access to primary care, grow the sector’s workforce and give the Health Policy Commission new enforcement powers. — State House News Service

ROLLINS ROLLS IN: Rachael Rollins talks her 2023 resignation as U.S. attorney for Massachusetts, her experience and more in her first interview since announcing that she’s running for Suffolk district attorney. — GBH

As electricity demand rises heading into the summer cooling season, National Grid is already taking steps to reduce risk, improve the customer experience, and support businesses and economic activity across the Commonwealth, helping bring energy to power possibilities for customers and communities. Investments in system reliability, coupled with proactive planning and newer technologies, help minimize disruptions and avoid costs that ultimately impact customers. — LEARN MORE

CONDITIONS TO MINUTECLINIC PLAN: It’s another step forward for the MGB-CVS MinuteClinic plan, which health regulators advanced via a new report Thursday but included new stipulations on how care will be delivered. — State House News Service

OPIOID DEATHS LEVEL IN FRANKLIN: Opioid-related overdose deaths remained level in 2025 in Franklin County and North Quabbin, although there was a statewide decline reported. — Greenfield Recorder

A WATER DONATION? The annual Fourth of July water fight on Nantucket that had been cancelled due to drought conditions is back on, after a “water donation.” — Nantucket Current

OVER AT NEWSPAPERS OF NE: Publisher of the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Greenfield Recorder and Athol Daily News, Shawn Palmer, will on July 5 become president and CEO of Newspapers of New England. — Daily Hampshire Gazette

ALVIN CAMPBELL GUILTY: After deliberating for about a week, a jury found Alvin Campbell guilty of raping several women while posing as an Uber driver in Boston. — WBUR

MORE WORLD CUP: Notice any kilts around the city? Scottish soccer fans, alongside tourists from places like Haiti, France and Morocco, have arrived in Boston ready for the World Cup. — Boston Globe

How will Boston navigate federal policy challenges and economic woes in a time of political uncertainty? What are the challenges and opportunities facing Boston in 2026? Kicking off a blockbuster summer featuring the World Cup and America 250, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu joins MASSterList columnist Jon Keller for an in-person fireside chat at the MCLE Conference Center in Downtown Crossing. Register here.

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