Following the success of the FIFA Club World Cup — which culminated in a much-watched trophy celebration starring President Trump — the world now turns its attention to the biggest gong of all, the FIFA World Cup.
Soccer continues its rise in popularity stateside, but for the rest of the world, football, and the World Cup in particular, can’t get much bigger. As the most-watched sporting event globally — five billion people tuned in at some point during the 2022 Qatar World Cup — if there’s one sporting event to catch, it’s probably this one.
It’s been over three decades since the last time the World Cup kicked off in the United States; however, this time things are a little different, with the USA, Canada and Mexico sharing the honor.
Hosting a World Cup is a significant endeavor; most countries need to invest in new stadiums and infrastructure to ensure everything runs smoothly. Qatar — despite its relatively small population of just over 3 million — built seven entirely new stadiums, a luxury most countries are unable to afford or justify.
By hosting the event across three countries, FIFA, football’s governing body that coordinates the World Cup, is spreading the load. Fans are distributed across North America, reducing the strain on local infrastructure, while also ensuring World Cup fever hits three countries at once.
For the intrepid traveling sports fan, this new hosting style opens several new doors. For the previous World Cup, fans had the choice of visiting Qatar, Qatar or… Qatar. Now there’s a veritable bounty of options, with Canada, USA and Mexico offering visitors plenty of variety when it comes to how they experience the beautiful game.
Traveling sports fans could spend most of their time relaxing in the ever-beautiful Cabo San Lucas before hopping in a jet and traveling to relatively close stadiums in, LA, San Francisco, Guadalajara and Mexico City. Or why not turn it into a grand North American tour, catching a game or two in each host nation and making sure to catch the final in New York.
We reached out to some of the biggest names in bespoke travel to find out what’s possible when it comes to World Cup 2026.
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Abercrombie & Kent
Since 1962, Abercrombie & Kent has earned an impressive reputation for delivering some of the finest bespoke luxury trips in the business. Using its wealth of contacts and expertise in curation, the brand is known for its experiential trips, and its offering for the 2026 World Cup looks to continue this trend.
“Abercrombie & Kent can craft a fully bespoke itinerary around the matches, handling all the logistics from accommodation, sightseeing and flights to luxury villa stays in Mexico, private jet transfers, curated cultural experiences and behind-the-scenes stadium tours,” said Adam Fogg, Abercrombie & Kent’s global tailormade product manager.
“We can also extend your trip beyond the matches, whether you’re looking to explore Whistler’s backcountry, Mexico City’s food scene or the iconic music venues of the Deep South, turning a football trip into a once-in-a-lifetime journey.”
“For those seeking deeper immersion, we can arrange football-inspired experiences year-round, such as a private tour of Rio’s iconic Maracanã stadium, a penalty shootout with a World Cup legend like Cafu or a training camp with FC Bayern München’s elite coaching team.”
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Black Tomato
Those who have experienced a Black Tomato trip will know to expect something unique, different and perhaps even a little bit daring. Travelers wanting to experience World Cup 2026 with the aid of Black Tomato’s experts should expect a continuation of form.
Utilizing its partners in Mexico, Canada, and the US, Black Tomato can assist sports fans with VIP access, tickets and curated touring around the games. The purpose here is to build effective itineraries that allow visitors to attend matches while also witnessing host cities’ cultural hotspots.
Black Tomato stresses, “For us, it’s about being able to help clients gain access to excellent tickets, parties and exclusive partnerships, but also explore the destination.”
Well-versed in creating bespoke experiences, for the Paris Olympics, Black Tomato organized opportunities for travelers to meet the designer of the Olympic torch, so football fans should certainly expect a similar level of behind-the-scenes access for the World Cup.