48 teams. 104 matches. 16 host cities. 3 countries. Millions of visitors.
Like millions of football fans around the world, I’m watching the World Cup 2026 for the moments that make the tournament unforgettable – the spectacular goals, the last-minute winner, the underdog story, and the dramatic upsets.
But the true test of success may be what fans don’t notice; trains and buses arriving on time, easy ticket payments, and fast trips to and from the stadium.
As someone who works every day with the teams behind public transport in the host cities, I’ll also be paying attention to something else: how millions of fans get to those games.
As North America hosts the largest World Cup in history, transport agencies and city leaders face an unprecedented mobility challenge on a scale that few have ever experienced. From New York/New Jersey, where the final will be played, to Los Angeles, Boston, Miami, and Vancouver, host cities are managing one of the most complex public transport operations ever attempted. Millions of visitors are travelling through airports, train stations, roads, and stadium districts throughout the tournament.
The true Player of the Match may be transportation systems nobody notices.
The real fan journey starts long before kickoff
As fans, we often think the World Cup experience begins when we walk into the stadium. In reality, it starts much earlier - the moment we land at an airport.
Imagine landing in LA for a knockout stage match. You’re excited, wearing your team’s shirt, meeting friends from around the world, and counting down the hours until kickoff. The last thing you want to worry about is working out how to buy a train ticket, doing mental maths to get the cheapest fare in an unfamiliar system, or understanding local transport rules.
That’s where modern mobility experiences become critical.
It requires years of planning, technology investments, and coordination among transport agencies, city leaders, and event organisers.
Agencies across the public transport industry are modernising fare systems to be more intuitive, embracing contactless and account-based fare payments so riders can simply pay fares with a bank card, smartphone, or wearable device. For international visitors, reducing friction can make a journey easier.
The easier it is for fans to move around a city, the more time they spend enjoying everything that city has to offer.
With around 1.2million people expected to travel to the New York/New Jersey region alone, simplicity matters.
The ultimate stress test for transport networks
Major sporting events create transport demands unlike anything cities experience during normal operation.
Ridership can surge dramatically before and after matches. Roads experience concentrated traffic peaks. Stations, bus terminals, and pedestrian corridors fill with thousands of people moving in the same direction at the same time.
The World Cup represents the ultimate stress test for infrastructure, operational readiness, and coordination.
Success depends on far more than adding extra buses or trains. It requires real-time visibility into passenger demand, traffic conditions, and network performance. Transportation management centres, transport operators, public safety agencies, and event organisers must work together as a connected ecosystem, sharing information and adapting as conditions change.
The cities that do their best will be those that orchestrate their mobility networks with precision, not necessarily those with the largest infrastructure.
90 minutes on the pitch. Months of mobility planning behind it.
Every Final creates images that live on for decades. What most viewers never see is the enormous transport operation unfolding around those moments.
Consider the Final in New Jersey. While the world focuses on players walking onto the pitch at MetLife Stadium, transportation professionals will be managing thousands of vehicle movements, monitoring traffic conditions, coordinating transport services, and helping ensure every fan arrives safely and on time.
Team buses must travel reliably between hotels, training facilities, and the stadium. VIP convoys require carefully managed routes. Emergency responders must maintain access regardless of crowd conditions. Tens of thousands of fans need to arrive within a relatively narrow time window and depart safely afterwards.
Supporting these operations is a sophisticated network of intelligent transport technologies.
Advanced traffic detection systems provide real-time visibility into roadway conditions. Adaptive traffic signal solutions respond dynamically to changing traffic demand. Transit Signal Priority can help team buses and VIP convoys move more efficiently through key corridors during peak demand. Integrated traffic management platforms help operators identify and address congestion before it impacts travellers.
When these technologies work together, mobility becomes more predictable, more efficient, and ultimately more resilient.
From tap to goal: Why contactless mobility matters
One of the most important innovations supporting large-scale events may also be one of the simplest.
Visitors arriving in the host cities will use payment methods they use every day: bank cards, smartphones, and digital wallets. They expect fare payments to be as intuitive as buying a coffee or a snack.
Modern contactless fare payments reduce friction, speed boarding, minimise cash handling, and create a welcoming experience for international visitors. They also help agencies gain better visibility into ridership patterns, supporting informed operational decisions during peak periods.
Fans should experience transport as a service that simply works. They shouldn’t have to think about how they pay for transport.
When transport services and traffic management converge
Historically, fare collection systems and traffic management systems have operated independently. Yet major events increasingly require a more connected approach to mobility.
As transport agencies modernise their operations, there is growing recognition that understanding both passenger movement and traffic conditions can help cities make smarter decisions. Insights from fare payment systems can help agencies anticipate demand, while intelligent traffic management technologies provide visibility into roadway performance and travel conditions.
Together, these capabilities offer a complete picture of how people move through a city, enabling agencies to adapt and improve service effectively during major events.
A legacy beyond the final whistle
The investments being made in the host cities’ infrastructure are not only about a month-long tournament.
The technologies, policies, and operational strategies developed today will continue delivering value long after the final trophy is lifted. Modern fare collection systems, intelligent transportation infrastructure, traffic management capabilities, and integrated urban mobility strategies can help improve everyday travel for residents and visitors.
As fans, we’ll remember the goals (and the heartbreaking penalty misses).
As transportation professionals, we’ll appreciate everything that happened between the airport and the stadium.
This year will see some of the world’s best football. But behind every successful match, every full stadium, and every stoppage time winner, there’s something equally impressive: an invisible team of cities, transport agencies, and technology working together to move millions of fans safely and efficiently.
And if everything works as planned, most people will never think twice about how they got there. They’ll just enjoy the game, which is exactly how it should be.