The Bay Area is set to host six matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with all of them scheduled for Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, officially designated by FIFA as San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. The venue will stage five group-stage matches and one Round of 32 knockout game, giving the region one of the larger World Cup slates among U.S. host markets.
The schedule begins June 13 with Qatar vs. Switzerland, followed by Austria vs. Jordan on June 16, Paraguay vs. Türkiye on June 19, Jordan vs. Algeria on June 22, and Paraguay vs. Australia on June 25. The site’s knockout match is set for July 1, when the winner of Group D will face a third-place team from Groups B, E, F, I, or J.
Levi’s Stadium will be one of the key U.S. venues in the expanded 48-team tournament, which runs from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. In the Bay Area, the stadium’s role gives local fans a direct window into both the group stage and the first knockout round without having to travel outside the region.
The venue itself is already used to hosting major events. Levi’s Stadium opened in 2014, is home to the San Francisco 49ers, and has also been selected to host Super Bowl LX in February 2026, giving it a major international sports calendar next year even before the World Cup begins.
Capacity will also make it one of the tournament’s larger settings. Levi’s Stadium has seating for about 68,500 fans, not including additional standing room, and is built with premium seating, suites, and ADA-compliant access features.
For transportation, the stadium is connected to several Bay Area transit options. Great America Station on the VTA light rail sits next to the venue, while Caltrain, BART, and ACE connections can also help move fans toward Santa Clara on matchdays. Parking is expected to be prepaid, and guidance for major events at the stadium has emphasized public transit and shuttle options because of crowd volume.
The World Cup’s arrival is also spilling beyond the stadium itself. Separate Bay Area planning has included organized public watch parties in San Francisco and around the region, signaling that local officials and event organizers expect the tournament to generate a wider civic atmosphere rather than remain confined to Santa Clara alone.
For the Bay Area, the headline is straightforward. The region will host six World Cup matches, all at Levi’s Stadium, with play beginning June 13 and a knockout fixture arriving on July 1. That gives Northern California a substantial place in the 2026 tournament and one of the summer’s biggest sports events before the first ball is kicked.
