The Boston World Cup host committee said that tailgating “will be allowed at Gillette Stadium” during the tournament, according to Seth Vertelney of USA TODAY. Boston 26 on Monday clarified its policy around tailgating in a statement, saying, “Based on prior information that FIFA communicated to Boston Soccer 2026, it was both our understanding and the host venue’s understanding that ‘no tailgating’ was a tournament-wide FIFA rule, and we included that information in our forward-facing messaging accordingly.” The committee added there are “no venue restrictions or local public safety restrictions in place that would prohibit” tailgating. Boston 26 had previously said that tailgating would “not be allowed before matches at the stadium in Foxborough” and the decision to ban tailgating was “down to FIFA regulations.” But FIFA in a statement earlier this month said that it did “not have any policy banning tailgating.” Boston will host seven matches at the World Cup 2026 including five group-stage games, a round of 32 match and a quarterfinal, but local transportation officials in February said that Gillette Stadium will only have “5,000 spots for fan parking, compared to the usual 20,000 spots” for Patriots games and concerts. Vertelney notes World Cup matches will see stadium parking lots “filled with a number of extra areas not typically seen at NFL games,” including “fan entertainment zones, sponsorship hospitality areas and broadcast centers.” There will also be “enhanced security measures that will occupy stadium real estate” (USA TODAY, 4/27).
Boston 26 clarifies that tailgating will be allowed for World Cup matches
