World Cup kicks off in California in 1 month. What to know about tickets and more
The biggest sporting event in the world is now less than month away from coming to the United States.
The World Cup begins June 11 and will be played in 16 host cities throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada, including in two California sites: one in the Bay Area and one near Los Angeles.
The final qualifying matches for the World Cup were held March 31 which finalized the record 48-team field featuring 12 groups. There will be 104 matches before a champion is given the FIFA World Cup Trophy after the final match played July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, home to the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets.
Rosters have not been finalized, with the deadline to do so in early June. But France, Spain, England, Brazil and Argentina are considered the favorites, while the United States is looking to grow interest in soccer domestically and advance to the quarterfinals for the second time since 2002.
Teams coming to California
Six matches are slated to be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, which is officially being called the “San Francisco Bay Area Stadium” for the World Cup due to FIFA rules regarding corporate sponsor names.
The biggest match will be in the Round of 32 between the winner of Group D, which is headlined by the United States, against a third-place finisher in either the B, E, F, I or J groups. That match is scheduled for July 1.
The five group stage matches in Santa Clara will be Qatar vs. Switzerland on June 13, Austria vs. Jordan June 16, Turkey vs. Paraguay June 19, Jordan vs. Algeria June 22 and Paraguay vs. Australia on June 25.
There will be eight matches played at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, with the biggest being the quarterfinals July 10 coming after two Round of 32 matches June 28 and July 2. The group stage will feature a pair of matches involving Team USA, against Paraguay on June 12 and Turkey on June 25.
The other matches will be Iran vs. New Zealand June 15, Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina June 18 and Belgium vs. Iran June 21.
Ticket prices for FIFA World Cup games in the San Francisco Bay Area
As of early May, official tickets for World Cup matches were available through FIFA’s resale market and its “Last-Minute Sales” program.
On the resale platform — which allows ticket holders to sell their tickets to others with a guarantee of authenticity from FIFA — Santa Clara match tickets could be purchased as cheap as $138 in mid-May, making them among the least expensive matches being hosted in the U.S. As the prices are set by the individual sellers, prices skyrocketed into the five figures for some games.
For Levi’s Stadium’s final match on July 1, resell tickets started as low as $690.
On third-party resellers including StubHub and SeatGeek, tickets for the group stage games at Levi’s Stadium started as low as $157 and climbed into the tens of thousands of dollars. However, FIFA discourages attendees from purchasing tickets through these platforms, as they may carry the risk of “fraud or invalid tickets.”
Last-Minute” tickets for group stage matches in Santa Clara as of Friday spanned from $170 to $1,170, depending on the quality of the seat.
For the July 1 knockout match at Levi’s Stadium, tickets started at $605 and reached nearly $2,300 per seat.
How can I get to Levi’s Stadium to watch the World Cup?
World Cup match attendees driving to Levi’s Stadium must purchase parking passes in advance, according to FIFA.
These passes, still available on FIFA’s website, provide game-day access to various parking lots within 1.3 miles of the stadium, with prices starting at $203.44. Access to reserved parking opens four hours before each game kicks off and ends an hour after the final whistle.
However, traffic along the highways and city streets throughout the Bay Area will likely be grueling while the World Cup is in town. During this year’s Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, transportation officials closed local roads around the stadium, forcing drivers and pedestrians to take major detours, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
To avoid the soccer-induced gridlock expected across the region, fans can get from Sacramento to Levi’s Stadium by riding the rails.
Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor line takes passengers from the Sacramento Valley station in downtown Sacramento directly to the steps of Levi’s Stadium, at the Santa Clara-Great America station.
Capitol Corridor shared frequently asked questions on its website for soccer fans traveling to Santa Clara on the train for the first time. The train line said it will operate with special service during the World Cup games, though it did not yet share how normal service will be affected.
FIFA fan zones and watch parties in Northern California
With match tickets staying at exorbitant prices a month out from the tournament, some fans are choosing to gather together at local restaurants and bars to watch the World Cup.
In the Bay Area, there are a number of official fan zones screening matches, with some hosting parties for the semi-finals and final games:
- Thrive City, 1725 Third St., San Francisco
- China Basin Park at Mission Rock, 1 China Basin Park, San Francisco
- Pier 39, The Embarcadero, San Francisco
- Raimondi Park, 1800 Wood St., Oakland
- SS Red Oak Victory Historic Ship, 1337 Canal Blvd. Berth 5, Richmond
- Wheeler Parking Plaza, 616 Laurel St., San Carlos
- Courthouse Square, 2200 Broadway, Redwood City
- San Pedro Square Market, 87 North San Pedro St., San Jose
A full list of FIFA fan zones and watch parties with the games they plan to screen are available on the Bay Area host committee’s website.
In Sacramento, some sports bars are already making plans to host soccer fans throughout the tournament.
Tom’s Watch Bar in the Downtown Commons is selling tickets and VIP experiences for each World Cup match. General admission entry cost $40, which includes a $20 food and drink credit and guaranteed entry to the bar. Specialty experiences go for up to $400, which comes with a swag bag, a private viewing space, extra food and beverage credits and more.
The five University of Beer locations across the capital region — in East Sacramento, Roseville, Rocklin, Vacaville and Davis — are all hosting parties for every tournament match.
Tucked into Elvas Avenue in East Sacramento, Garden at the Line will offer beer, wine and food specials for every game of the World Cup. The bar and kitchen sells food from popular Sacramento restaurants including Kru, Kizuna by Binchoyaki, La Sabrocita Taqueria, Nash & Proper and more.
Television and streaming
The World Cup will be televised on Fox and FS1, with all 104 matches available live and on demand in 4K.
Fox will broadcast 70 matches, which the station says is a record and more than double the number from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Fox will also feature all games on the FOX One streaming platform.
Sacramento Republic FC festivities and local watch parties
Republic FC said it will host World Cup watch parties for select USA and Mexico games, though details like dates and locations have not been finalized. The club also plans to host smaller weekly events at local bars and restaurants throughout the tournament. Their June 20 match will include a Brewfest before the kickoff that will include having World Cup games on the big screen at Heart Health Park.
Republic FC did not alter its schedule to accommodate the World Cup and will play in six matches during the tournament, while the MLS will be on a seven-week break for the tournament.
Republic FC has two home matches during that span: June 20 vs. New Mexico United and July 8 versus Rhode Island FC.
What will the weather be like in Santa Clara for the World Cup?
The San Francisco Bay Area generally has milder weather than the Sacramento Valley year-round.
In the summer, the South Bay Area averages temperatures in the high 60s to low 70s with less than a quarter-inch of rain per month, data from the National Weather Service shows.
This year, the majority of the U.S. including Northern California is expected to see above-average temperatures and about average precipitation during the summer, according to the weather service.
Normal June temperatures for Levi’s Stadium’s neighboring San Jose area range from nighttime lows in the mid-to-high 50s and daytime high temperatures in the 70s and low 80s. However, the region has in recent years experienced record high daily temperatures in the high 90s and 100s.
Since opening as the home of the San Francisco 49ers in 2014, Levi’s Stadium has been notorious for its lack of shade across its roughly 70,000 seats.
To combat the beating California sun, fans are allowed to enter the stadium with sunscreen, hand-powered misters, sealed plastic water bottles or transparent reusable water bottles, and umbrellas that do not obstruct the view for other attendees.
Opening ceremony starring musical acts
There will be a glitzy World Cup opening ceremony before the June 12 match at SoFi Stadium featuring musical acts Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla, while FIFA says other artists will be added to the lineup.
FIFA in a news release said the ceremony will deliver “a high-energy spectacle that reflects the scale, ambition and cultural power of the tournament itself.”
There ceremony will begin 90 minutes before the kickoff between Team USA and Paraguay in Group D.
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