A companion for international fans landing in the States. Sort your US entry & ESTA, money & tipping, and NYC transit before you arrive; get from EWR/JFK/LGA to MetLife; build your match itinerary; and read a daily-refreshed social pulse. Deep focus on New York & New Jersey — host of the July 19 Final — with Miami & LA as side trips. June 11 – July 19, 2026.
Sort these before you fly. The things that trip up first-time visitors to the States — entry, money, getting around New York, staying connected.
Citizens of 42 Visa Waiver countries (most of Europe, UK, Japan, South Korea, Australia, NZ, Singapore, Taiwan…) enter for tourism up to 90 days with an ESTA. Fee $40.27, valid 2 years, multiple entries. Needs a biometric passport.
The only real application is esta.cbp.dhs.gov. Hundreds of copycat sites overcharge or steal data. Apply at least 72 hours before travel (most approvals are minutes, some take days).
You'll need a B-2 visitor visa — interview wait times can be months at some consulates, so start now. A match ticket doesn't speed it up.
US sticker prices exclude sales tax — it's added at checkout (NYC ~8.875%). There's no VAT/tourist refund on it. Budget a little extra over the shelf price.
Sit-down restaurants & bars: 18–20% (servers earn sub-minimum wages). Taxis: 15–20%. Uber/Lyft: in-app, $2–3+. Hotel housekeeping: $2–5/night. Counter/takeaway: optional.
Contactless card or Apple/Google Pay works almost everywhere — and stadiums are 100% cashless. Tell your bank you're travelling so cards don't get blocked.
The MetroCard retired end of 2025. Just tap a contactless card/phone at the turnstile — fare $2.90, free transfer, and it caps at $35/week on the same card. No app, no ticket needed.
Subway = within NYC (OMNY). PATH = NJ ↔ Manhattan (uses its own "TAPP" tap — not OMNY). NJ Transit = commuter rail, and the only train to MetLife (separate ticket).
EWR (Newark): AirTrain → NJ Transit to Penn Station, ~$15, 45–60 min. JFK: AirTrain ($8.75) → subway or LIRR, 35–60 min. LGA: free Q70/LaGuardia Link bus → subway.
Install a US eSIM (Airalo, Holafly, etc.) before you land — cheaper than roaming, live the moment you arrive. Big US carriers: Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile.
US is 120V, Type A/B plugs (flat pins). Phones/laptops are usually dual-voltage — you just need a plug adapter, not a converter.
Dial 911 (free) for police/fire/medical. The US has no universal healthcare — travel insurance is strongly advised; a walk-in pharmacy (CVS, Walgreens, Duane Reade) covers minor needs.
Same word, different meaning — handy if English is your second language (or you're from elsewhere in the English-speaking world):
Spanish, Portuguese, French & German speakers: NYC is highly multilingual and the fan zones run multilingual signage — but tap-to-pay and a translation app cover almost everything.
Tick the matches you're going to (in the city tables below, or here). Your itinerary, budget estimate, and a calendar file update live.
Biggest, hardest logistics in the tournament — and it ends here with the Final on July 19.
| Date | Kickoff (ET) | Fixture | Stage |
|---|
Transit-only. No general spectator parking on stadium property on match days.
~40,000 fans/match via $150 round-trip tickets. From 4 hrs before, the Penn Station → Secaucus line is ticket-holder-only. Buy in advance — not at the gate.
Round-trip bus (~$80) from points across NY/NJ + a NJ park-and-ride at Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine.
Limited premium parking ~$225 at American Dream (advance only). Rideshare drop/pickup is off-property at Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment.
| Airport | Closest? | Best route | Time / cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| EWR (Newark) | ✅ ~15 mi — closest | AirTrain → NJ Transit to Secaucus, transfer to the Meadowlands match train | 45–60 min · ~$15–17 ⚠ AirTrain construction in 2026 — allow extra time |
| JFK | ~25 mi | AirTrain ($8.75) → subway/LIRR to Manhattan → NJ Transit from Penn | ~75–100 min to stadium |
| LGA (LaGuardia) | ~20 mi | Free Q70/LaGuardia Link bus → subway to Penn → NJ Transit | ~75–100 min to stadium |
On match days the Penn Station → Secaucus rail line is ticket-holder-only from 4 hrs before kickoff, so build the airport leg around that window. There is no train direct from the airport to the stadium — you always route via Manhattan/Secaucus.
Doing more than New York? Quick-hit guides for the other two big multi-match US cities. All their matches are tickable in the trip builder above.
| Date | Kickoff (ET) | Fixture | Stage |
|---|
No rail; Hard Rock is in Miami Gardens (30–90+ min). Free shuttle from Dr. MLK Jr. Metrorail Station; FIFA-gated parking tied to your ticket. Arrive 60–90 min early — it's hot & humid, so the shaded 300-level seats help.
Base in Brickell (urban) or South Beach (beach); value in Doral/Kendall. Free FIFA Fan Festival at Bayfront Park (Jun 13–Jul 5).
| Date | Kickoff (PT) | Fixture | Stage |
|---|
LA kickoff times are official (PT, per SoFi). Some group opponents depend on the March 2026 European play-offs; knockout opponents are set by results.
Skip the car: Metro "Enhanced Service" buses are $1.75 each way (start 4h15m before), plus a free SoFi shuttle from LAX/Metro Transit Center, Bay 8. Covered roof — no sun or rain worry.
Base in Inglewood (closest), Downtown, Koreatown or Santa Monica. Free FIFA Fan Festival rotates: LA Coliseum (Jun 11–14, $10), Farmers Market, Union Station, Venice Beach.
The stuff that gets you turned away or sunburned. Pick a venue to generate a tailored packing checklist.
What fans and reporters are actually saying — baked sentiment plus a headline feed that auto-refreshes daily. Loading freshness…
Loading live posts…
Fetching the latest pulse…
Real-money prediction markets, cross-checked across the two biggest venues (Kalshi + Polymarket). Each number is match-verified — shown only when both venues’ contracts genuinely resolve the same way. Updates every 10 minutes.
Powered by Liquified — the match-verified number for prediction markets.
Enter kickoff + your transit mode. It tells you when to leave to clear the transit window and reach your seat in time.
Rules that apply in every city.
NJ's 40k rail cap and FIFA's ticket-linked parking sell against fixed inventory.
Treat every venue as transit-only; stay near a pickup, not the stadium.
Apple/Google Pay everywhere; one clear 12×6×12 bag, no backpacks, sealed water only.
Civic heart, run on non-match days, beat scalper prices.
| Factor | 🗽 NY/NJ | 🌴 Miami | 🌴 LA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium parking | Effectively banned | FIFA-gated, ticket-linked | Available but pricey |
| Primary access | NJ Transit rail ($150 RT) | Free shuttle from MLK Metrorail | Metro bus ($1.75) |
| Hardest logistics | ✅ (40k rail cap) | ✅ (no rail, 90-min jams) | Easiest of the three |
| Hotel pain | ~+25% regional | up to +300% match nights | ~+90% revenue |
| Shade | Open-air (none) | Canopy shades ~92% | Fully covered |
| Arrive before kickoff | 2–3 hrs (rail window) | 60–90 min | 2–3 hrs (shuttle window) |