16
JUN
GROUP H · MD1
🇮🇹Italyvs🇺🇾Uruguay
Italy's WC return · Boston's Italian diaspora delivers
15:00 ET19:00 GMT
65,878
Capacity (WC config)
6
WC 2026 matches
2002
Opened · $325 M build
Grass
Surface · converted for WC
30 mi
South of Boston
02 · The Soul
Belichick's bowl, built for football.
Six Super Bowl wins. Six AFC Championships. The Brady-Belichick dynasty's home for 20 years. Gillette's the most-decorated NFL stadium of the 21st century.
Year-round it also hosts the New England Revolution · soccer infrastructure is already baked in. The natural-grass conversion is straightforward.
The slate: six WC matches including a knockout. Boston's college-town energy and the loudest stadium in the AFC make every group-stage night a sellout.
03 · The Fixtures · 6 matches
Every game played here.
Group stage through round of 16.
21
JUN
GROUP E · MD2
🏴Englandvs🏴Wales
British derby · Belichick's old town
18:00 ET22:00 GMT
25
JUN
GROUP H · MD3
🇸🇦Saudi Arabiavs🇦🇺Australia
Asia-Oceania crossover · group decider
17:00 ET21:00 GMT
03
JUL
ROUND OF 32
TBDvsTBD
Single elimination · winner to R16
16:00 ET20:00 GMT
07
JUL
ROUND OF 16
R32 winnervsR32 winner
New England's WC knockout night
15:00 ET19:00 GMT
04 · The Map
Pinned.
Patriot Place is the anchor · the only stadium with its own retail village.
🏆Gillette Stadium
—Stadium · Foxborough
2026 WC venue · 65,878 capacity, open roof.
🛍Patriot Place
0.1 miShopping · Foxborough
Open-air retail complex at the gate · 70+ stores, restaurants, Patriots Hall of Fame.
🚆Foxboro MBTA Station
0.4 miTransit · Foxborough
Commuter rail event-day service from Boston South Station · the cleanest option from the city.
🛏Renaissance Boston Patriot Place Hotel
0.1 miHotels · Foxborough
Closest full-service hotel · part of the Patriot Place complex.
🍽Splitsville Foxborough
0.1 miRestaurants · Foxborough
Pre-match bowling and bar · Patriot Place anchor restaurant.
🎉Boston Common
30 miFan zones · Downtown Boston
The WC fan-festival anchor location · big screens at the historic park.
✈Logan International (BOS)
40 miAirports · Boston
The Boston airport · 50-min drive on event days.
06 · Getting There
Three ways in.
Foxborough is suburban · the commuter rail event service is the cleanest route from Boston.
🚆 From Boston South Station
MBTA commuter rail · event service
60 mindoor to gate
$15round-trip
30 minevent freq.
1
MBTA event-day train from South Station to Foxboro.
2
Direct service · runs only on event days.
3
8-min walk from station to Gillette gate via Patriot Place.
🚗 From Boston / Providence
I-95 to Route 1
50 minfrom Boston
$40+on-site lots
20 lotscolour-coded
1
I-95 → exit Route 1 South.
2
Follow signage to stadium.
3
Pre-paid parking · gates open 4 hours before kickoff.
🚌 From Logan Airport
Airport shuttle + commuter rail
90 mindoor to gate
$20combined
30 minfrequency
1
Silver Line bus or Blue Line to South Station.
2
MBTA commuter rail to Foxboro.
3
Pro tip: rideshare from Logan is 50% slower than rail on big nights.
07 · The Pitch & the Stands
The bowl, rebuilt for the world.
The Revolution play on the converted pitch year-round · WC 2026 swaps to a custom Bermuda blend three weeks before the opener.
Field specifications
// FIFA-spec for WC 2026
SurfaceNatural grass · Bermuda
SourceNew Jersey turf farm
Dimensions105m × 68m
RoofOpen · no climate control
LightingLED · 2,500 lux
Pitch installed3 weeks before opener
After WCReverts to artificial turf for NFL
LowerClubUpperVIP
08 · The History
Before it was a World Cup venue.
Opened in 2002. The biggest moments before WC 2026, in reverse.
2026
🏆 FIFA World Cup · 6 matches
New England's WC.
Six matches from group stage through round of 16. The most-decorated NFL stadium of the century hosts the actual football.
2023
🎤 Concerts · Taylor Swift · Beyoncé · Bruce Springsteen
The biggest concert summer ever.
Taylor Swift's three nights · 196,000 fans · the highest-grossing concert run at Gillette ever.
2017
🏈 Super Bowl LI run · Patriots' fifth ring
28-3 came back from Foxboro.
The 28-3 comeback was preceded by months at Gillette. AFC Championship hosted that January.
2002
🏟 Opening · Patriots vs Steelers
The Belichick era opens.
First Patriots regular-season game · the start of the most-successful 20-year run in NFL history.
★ The deepest line on this file
The R16.
Tuesday · 7 July 2026 · 15:00 ET
34
Days
05
Hours
33
Minutes
56
Seconds
New England's biggest WC night · the round of 16 at the Belichick bowl.
09 · Stadium trivia
Four facts for Patriot Place.
For the Splitsville pre-match drink.
6 Super Bowl banners hang here
The most-decorated NFL home stadium of the 21st century. Brady-Belichick won 6, lost 3 SBs · all hung at Gillette.
The only stadium with its own retail village
Patriot Place at the gate · 70+ stores, the Hall at Patriot Place, NRG Stadium and BC Place don't have anything similar.
Revolution play here too
MLS infrastructure already baked in · NE Revolution's home since the league began.
The event-day-only train
MBTA commuter rail event service from Boston South Station only runs on game days · the only NE rail line built around a stadium.
The deepest truth in the file
Six matches.Belichick's old bowlhosts the actual football for the world.
Host venue2026 R1665,878 capacityPatriot bowlBoston gateway