The 2026 FIFA World Cup officially kicks off today with the first match in Mexico City. However, for local fans, the excitement is already building in Boston, where the Fan Fest at City Hall Plaza opens at 1 p.m. with a ribbon cutting.

Local Angle

While the first World Cup match in Massachusetts isn’t until Saturday, thousands of fans are arriving in the area near Foxborough. The Boston Stadium will be packed Saturday night for the first local match of Scotland versus Haiti.

Haiti is well represented locally, and Scottish fans are in town, with the Tartan Army stepping off the plane Wednesday ready to have a good time. Scotland hasn’t qualified for the World Cup since 1998, and these fans are shelling out big cash to stay all over the region and see their countrymen play.

Meanwhile, the French national soccer team, the top team in the world, will hold their first practice at Bentley University in Waltham today after arriving stateside Wednesday, with fans showing up early and staying late for their arrival.

Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.