Soccer fan or not, prepare to enter the “World Cup” at many airports.
Millions of domestic and international soccer fans will soon travel through the airports of the 11 U.S. cities that together will host 78 of the 104 FIFA World Cup matches taking place between now and mid-July.
To accommodate and welcome these fans, airlines have added World Cup-related flights, special routes and commemorative liveries. And airports in and around the host cities are decked out with World Cup-related branding, digital displays, art, activities, viewing parties and merchandise galore.
So if you fly this summer, it will be impossible to miss the World Cup frenzy. Here’s a sample of what some of the US airports have in store.
atlanta
In addition to introducing a new soccer ball-shaped Atlas digital sphere in the national atrium, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is running a “Gates to Goals” campaign with interactive soccer experiences, virtual soccer games, DJs, live music performances, food tastings, giveaways, mascot appearances and photo opportunities throughout domestic and international terminals.
ATL’s art department is also pulling out all the stops, with a variety of temporary exhibits and installations, including a scavenger hunt-worthy series of more than 45 hidden soccer ball sculptures by Atlanta artist and sculptor Jourdan Joly.
Boston
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) is planning themed activations, many merchandising tables and Fan Zones where passengers can watch each game.
And here’s a good reason to grab that window seat when flying to or from Logan: Massport, the public authority that operates the airport, is hosting an attempt to break Guinness World Records with the world’s largest soccer ball in East Boston’s Waterfront Park. Therefore, travelers should be able to easily spot the 45-foot-tall ball from the air.
dallas
Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL) will celebrate the matches with live broadcasts of World Cup matches on the Live at Love Field stage. There will also be pre- and post-security photo booths with football-themed backdrops.
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The HeART Cart (a family favorite) will be active and offer football-themed activities and giveaways. Meanwhile, art showcases throughout the airport highlight both the history of FIFA and works from the city’s public art collection.
At Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), nine new and renovated doors in Terminal C opened just in time for the start of the World Cup matches.
Throughout the airport, passengers are welcomed with branded amenities and special activities, including viewing parties at more than 30 locations, special themed menus, giveaways and opportunities to win branded merchandise.
Kansas City
Kansas City International Airport (MCI) has prepared a display with flags of the 48 nations that will participate in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Look for it inside the terminal, between concourses A and B.
The airport has also scheduled live music on the arrivals level during all six game days in Kansas City and on the secure side of the terminal in Concourses A and B. There will also be multiple food and beverage tastings at various locations throughout the airport from June 15 to July 14.
Miami
Miami International Airport (MIA) has fan zones with large screens showing all televised games near Gate E5 (North Terminal) and at the Concourse HJ connector (South Terminal).
Passengers can also enjoy “Beyond the Pitch: Artists in the Field,” a new exhibit featuring works by 14 South Florida artists that celebrates the global influence of football and its role in connecting generations, languages and cultures around the world. Look for the exhibit in Gallery D31 through August 10.
And, until July 25, travelers at MIA’s South Terminal can also watch all or part of a 107-minute digital video by British artist and filmmaker Sam Taylor-Johnson featuring global soccer icon Sir David Beckham.
The video was filmed in a single uninterrupted take and shows Beckham resting after a Real Madrid FC training session in 2004. The video for “David” can be seen on the airport’s MIAmi (moving image) video wall near Gate J7.
new york city
At LaGuardia Airport (LGA) Terminal B, travelers can enjoy live music, soccer-themed treats and Watch Party zones throughout the terminal. Passengers can also join the Hive Hop, an interactive passport-style tour that invites them to explore the terminal, collect stamps from participating locations and redeem completed passports for a commemorative World Cup prize.
Individual airlines and terminal operators at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) will also have their own activations, promotions and monitoring stations. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has already installed cardboard cutout booths and photo stations at all terminals.
houston
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) have created terminal activations, special concessions and fan experiences for FIFA World Cup travelers.
At IAH, look for the “surprise and delight” fan zone after security in Terminal A, in the corridor connecting A South and A North. At HOU, a fan zone will be available for security near the TSA checkpoint. Both spaces feature interactive activities, photo opportunities, giveaways and prizes, including an AI photo booth that transforms passengers into professional soccer players from their favorite team.
Coca-Cola has also created its own special lounge and fan zone in IAH’s new D-West terminal. Throughout the airport system, travelers will also find pop-up kiosks and vending machines for FIFA merchandise. The most popular items so far include host city “HOU26” apparel featuring an astronaut playing soccer.
For travelers who want to watch matches before a flight or during a connection, IAH has 176 TVs tuned to FIFA games and HOU has 50.
Both IAH and HOU showcase local non-profit design house, Magpies & Peacocks, showcasing an upcycled sportswear collection.
At IAH, costumes and accessories are made from uniforms and materials retired from all of Houston’s major league professional sports teams. At HOU, the fabric was previously Southwest Airlines airplane leather.
Los Angeles
Many of the World Cup activities at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) are centered around the Tom Bradley International Terminal, where the countdown clock has been a popular attraction.
Watch parties are scheduled at locations throughout the LAX terminals. Additionally, there are plenty of selfie stations, art, design, and fan activations in the terminals, at the rental car center, at LAX-it (the pick-up area for taxis and app-based transportation apps), and other parts of the airport.
For exclusive FIFA World Cup merchandise, be sure to visit the official FIFA store in Terminal 7, which features some items not available anywhere else.
Philadelphia
Not only will Philadelphia host a half-dozen FIFA games this summer, it will also host the MLB All-Star Game (July 14) and the country’s 250th anniversary festivities.
So at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), summer travelers will find activities and products that celebrate all three events.
During the World Cup, look for special souvenirs and apparel in stores and three limited-edition FIFA vending machines. And keep an eye out for airport employees handing out welcome gifts and offering to take your photo with football-themed selfie frames.
seattle
Days before the World Cup matches hosted in Seattle began, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) Cut the ribbon on a three-year construction project to significantly improve and expand Concourse C. Retail spaces in Concourse C and throughout the airport are stocked with World Cup-themed merchandise, and SEA is one of 16 airports nationwide to have vending machines stocked with an exclusive variety of FIFA-licensed merchandise.
san francisco
The “Game On” activation at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) includes giant television monitors and a soccer field photo station (post-security in Terminal 2) with giant soccer balls, a goal, a trivia raffle with mini soccer ball prizes, a corn hole, Jenga and other games. There are also interactive digital walls where travelers can try to be a goalie against Striker the Robot.
The SFO has digital holograms of Bay Area native and two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Brandi Chastain, as well as San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, welcoming visitors to San Francisco for the games.
