Soccer fan or not, get ready to enter “World Cup World” at many airports.
Millions of international and domestic soccer fans will soon be traveling through airports in 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, watch parties and merchandise galore.
So, if you are flying this summer, it will be impossible to miss the World Cup frenzy. Here is a sample of what some of the U.S. airports have in store.
Atlanta
In addition to unveiling a new soccer ball-shaped Atlas digital sphere in the Domestic Atrium, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) is running a “Gates to Goals” campaign with interactive soccer experiences, virtual soccer gaming, DJs, live music performances, food tastings, giveaways, mascot appearances and photo opportunities throughout the international and domestic terminals.
ATL’s art department is also going all in, with a variety of temporary exhibitions 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, plenty of merch tables and Fan Zones where passengers can watch each match.
And here’s a good reason to nab that window seat when flying into or out of Logan: Massport, the public authority that operates the airport, is hosting a Guinness World Records-breaking attempt for the World’s Largest Soccer Ball in East Boston’s Waterfront Park. So, 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 the World Cup games at the Live at Love Field stage. There will also be pre- and postsecurity photo booths with soccer-themed backdrops.
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The HeART Cart (a family favorite) will be active and offering soccer-themed activities and giveaways. Meanwhile, art display cases throughout the airport are highlighting both FIFA’s history and works from the city’s public art collection.
Over at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), nine new and refurbished gates in Terminal C opened just in time for the World Cup games kick-off.
Throughout the airport, passengers are welcomed with branded installations and special activities, including watch parties at more than 30 locations, themed menu specials, giveaways and opportunities to win branded swag.
Kansas City
Kansas City International Airport (MCI) has put together a display featuring flags of all 48 nations participating 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 on the six match days in Kansas City and on the secure side of the terminal in the A and B concourses. There will also be multiple food and drink tastings in various spots in the airport from June 15 through July 14.
Miami
Miami International Airport (MIA) has fan zones with large screens showing all televised games near gate E5 (North Terminal) and in the Concourse H-J connector (South Terminal).
Passengers can also enjoy “Beyond the Pitch: Artists in the Field,” a new exhibition featuring work by 14 South Florida artists that celebrates soccer’s global influence and its role in connecting generations, languages and cultures worldwide. Look for the exhibit at the D31 Gallery through Aug. 10.
And, through July 25, travelers in 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, unbroken take and shows Beckham resting after a Real Madrid FC training session in 2004. The “David” video is on view at the airport’s MIAmi (moving images) video wall near Gate J7.
New York City
At Terminal B in LaGuardia Airport (LGA), travelers can enjoy live music, soccer-themed treats and Watch Party Zones throughout the terminal. Passengers may also join the Hive Hop, an interactive passport-style crawl that invites passengers to explore the terminal, collect stamps from participating locations and redeem completed passports for a World Cup commemorative 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 watch stations. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has already set up put-your-face-here cardboard cutouts and photo-op stations throughout the terminals.
Houston
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) have created in-terminal activations, concessions specials and fan experiences for FIFA World Cup travelers.
At IAH, look for the “surprise and delight” fan zone postsecurity in Terminal A, in the corridor connecting A South and A North. At HOU, a fan zone will be available presecurity near the TSA checkpoint. Both spaces have interactive activities, photo opportunities, giveaways and prizes, including an AI photo booth that transforms passengers into professional soccer players on their favorite team.
Coca-Cola has also created its own special lounge and fan zone in the new IAH Terminal D-West Concourse. Across the airport system, travelers will also find FIFA merchandise pop-up kiosks and vending machines. The most popular items so far include “HOU26” host city apparel featuring an astronaut playing soccer.
For travelers hoping to watch matches before a flight or during a connection, IAH has 176 televisions tuned to FIFA games, and HOU has 50.
Both IAH and HOU are showcasing the local nonprofit design house, Magpies & Peacocks, displaying an upcycled collection of sports fashion.
At IAH, the outfits and accessories are made from retired uniforms and materials from all of Houston’s major league professional sports teams. At HOU, the fabric was formerly Southwest Airlines aircraft leather.
Los Angeles
Many of the World Cup activities at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) are centered in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, where the countdown clock has been a popular attraction.
Watch parties are scheduled at venues throughout the LAX terminals. Plus, 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 zone for taxis and app-based ride-hailing apps) and other parts of the airport.
For unique FIFA World Cup merchandise, be sure to visit the official FIFA store in Terminal 7, which is stocked with some items not available anywhere else.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia is not only hosting a half dozen FIFA matches this summer, but it’s hosting the MLB All-Star Game (July 14) and festivities for the country’s 250th birthday.
So, at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), summer travelers will encounter activities and merchandise celebrating all three events.
During the World Cup, look for special memorabilia and clothing in shops and in three limited-edition FIFA vending machines. And keep an eye out for airport employees handing out welcome gifts and offering to take a photo of you with soccer-themed selfie frames.
Seattle
Days before the Seattle-hosted World Cup games began, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) cut the ribbon on a three-year-long construction project to upgrade and significantly enlarge Concourse C. Retail venues on Concourse C and throughout the airport are stocked with World Cup-themed goodies, and SEA is one of 16 airports throughout the country that have vending machines filled with an exclusive assortment of FIFA-licensed merchandise.
San Francisco
The “Game On” activation at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) includes giant TV monitors and a soccer pitch photo op station (postsecurity in Terminal 2) with giant soccer balls, a goal net, trivia raffle with mini soccer ball prizes, corn hole, Jenga and other games. There are also interactive digital walls where travelers can try being a goalkeeper against Striker the Robot.
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.
