The joint World Cup bid between the United States, Canada and Mexico has gone down as the biggest organized sporting event in history. In all, the tournament will have featured 104 matches in 16 cities across the continent, each bringing their own flair and approach. Boston broke the record for the world’s largest soccer ball; Mexico City erected giant statues all around the region; Los Angeles held watch parties on the sandy shores of Venice Beach. The eyes of the world fell on North America and it did not disappoint. Here, we’re highlighting four of the sixteen amazing hosts: Vancouver, Atlanta, Seattle and Philadelphia.

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Vancouver

_{Attended and written by Jared Goodman}

The Venue

One of the clear icons of the entire tournament, BC Place was the site of multiple marquee Group Stage games for host team Canada, with Switzerland continuing to bathe the venue in red during the knockout round. To maintain consistency throughout the tournament, the building’s enormous retractable roof remained closed, creating a comfortable environment for players and fans on a few of the cold and rainy days that have become a hallmark of June in Vancouver. BC Place, with its cozy atmosphere, insane exterior design and integrated graphics, was also mentioned as a notable snub for hosting the World Cup Final.

Like at most of the venues used during the tournament, the security gates for the stadium were extended far outside the actual doors, stretching down to the main plaza of adjacent Rogers Arena and encompassing a large swath of Pacific Blvd. Set up on the streets was a large festival, full of food trucks, merch tents and other activations for fans to poke around during their ample 3-hour pre-game window.

The Fans

In all, Vancouver hosted followers of ten national teams: Qatar, Switzerland, Australia, Türkiye, New Zealand, Egypt, Belgium, Algeria, Colombia and home side Canada. Aside from Les Rouges, Australia and Colombia brought some of the biggest turnouts, both drowning the city in a sea of yellow.

A multicultural crossroads, Vancouver contains many diasporas from around the world, resulting in big crowds for watch parties featuring teams such as Brazil and Mexico that didn’t compete locally. Some of the largest gatherings happened at Hastings Park, site of the FIFA Fan Fest. This hub of activity was centered around the brand-new Freedom Mobile Arch, an iconic amphitheatre that beautifully frames the North Shore Mountains and was the site of exclusive live streams throughout the tournament. Additional screens, greenspaces, food stalls and merch tents made the festival a real World Cup epicentre – even on days when BC Place was quiet.

The City

All of Greater Vancouver was abuzz with World Cup excitement, and the hype was unmistakable. Just prior to the event kicking off, the largest Canadian flag ever produced was installed in a clearing atop Grouse Mountain, which overlooks the entire region. In addition to being visible from most of the cities composing the Lower Mainland, it also acted as a welcome mat for travelers arriving at Vancouver International Airport. Even the airport itself was decked out with official World Cup pop-up shops and signage greeting fans to the area.

Perhaps the most notable of Vancouver’s accoutrements was the trionda which wrapped Science World, the eye-catching sphere-shaped museum that sits just across False Creek from BC Place. This giant soccer ball became not only an icon for the city as a host, but also for the entire World Cup.

Atlanta

_{Attended and written by Will Halpern}

The Venue

The FIFA World Cup’s appearance in Atlanta was the culmination of more than a decade-long rise of the global game in the Peach State. A major turning point came in 2017 with both the debut of Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United and the opening of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, known as Atlanta Stadium during the World Cup.

Like all of the venues used for the tournament, the stadium was packed for each and every match. With the roof closed and the air conditioning providing relief from the scorching Georgia heat, fans enjoyed consistent and comfortable matchday experiences. The fan festival outside the stadium was constantly buzzing, with the nearby Signia by Hilton hotel featuring a giant Coca-Cola soccer ball display – a fitting sight considering Coke is both a FIFA sponsor and the company behind the world’s most famous soft drink, which was founded in Atlanta.

Some tournament highlights from Atlanta included Cape Verde holding Spain to a draw, England narrowly escaping DR Congo in the round of 32 and Messi’s Argentina rallying from 2-0 in the final ten minutes to top Egypt 3-2 in the Round of 16.

The Fans

Now one of the country’s premier soccer hotbeds, Atlanta put its passion for the beautiful game on full display throughout the World Cup. In just the first few days of the event, a quarter of a million fans filled the Fan Festival at Centennial Olympic Park – itself formed when the city hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics – creating a festival atmosphere right in the heart of downtown.

Fans of Argentina and England were the dominant forces in and around the festivities on matchdays, but it was one Democratic Republic of the Congo supporter who really stood out – literally. Enock Kabwende, wearing a red suit of lion and leopard fur, remained posed and frozen for the duration of his team’s match against England in order to honor Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba. Kabwende, however, is not the originator of this stiff tradition. He stepped into the role of superfan Michel Kuka Mboladinga, who has attended the most DR Congo national team matchups in the last decade but was denied a travel visa to attend this year’s World Cup.

Fans of the English national team, meanwhile, found themselves outside the city center and packed an Atlanta Braves game, singing traditional football songs and donning jerseys, as well as crowding an outpost of the locally-based chain Waffle House.

The City

In the lead up to the tournament, more than 150 local artists came together to paint the city with soccer-themed murals, decorating Downtown, Midtown and beyond with festive FIFA flair. The famous Atlanta Beltline, an interconnected system of trails and paths, also celebrated the World Cup with pop-up food trucks, live music and nearby watch parties. Many of Atlanta’s suburbs, such as Decatur, Doraville and Marietta, all created watch party zones of their own as well.

With increased service and a direct connection to the airport, more than one million fans rode MARTA, Atlanta’s rapid transit system, during the tournament, making it one of the easiest ways for supporters from around the world to reach the matches and cheer on their nations in the “City in the Forest.”

Seattle

_{Attended and written by Jared Goodman}

The Venue

Lumen Field, heralded as one of the loudest and most intense venues in both the NFL and MLS, was temporarily renamed “Seattle Stadium” throughout the tournament to align with FIFA’s sponsorship regulations. The grounds were transformed into their usual soccer configuration, although a special natural grass surface was installed above the typical turf that’s used for Sounders matches, which ultimately raised up the playing field by more than a foot.

The gates of the stadium were pushed beyond the actual structure, spilling into the nearby parking lots and streets. The setup, which funneled all fans through the north entrance of the field, resulted in an electric “March to the Match” prior to each event. Throngs of supporters would fill the streets from wall to wall, chanting and waving flags from Pioneer Square straight down Second Ave.

The Fans

In addition to Los Angeles and San Francisco, Seattle was fortunate enough to host the US Men’s National Team. The Stars and Stripes played two matches in the city, a Group Stage victory over Australia and a crushing loss to Belgium in the knockout round. Fans donning red, white and blue descended upon Seattle from all across the country to support the team. They not only took over the stadium, but the streets were also filled with folks just wanting to be a part of the electric ambiance.

Like in Vancouver, the Australians also had a huge showing in the Emerald City. Supporters of Egypt, Qatar, Belgium, Senegal and Iran packed out their respective games as well, but it was the Bosnia & Herzegovina fans who overshadowed them all. For their lone match in Seattle against Qatar, a wave of blue and yellow stretched for blocks and the stadium atmosphere leaned in the direction of the Dragons by more than 95%.

The City

Fans of teams who played in other host cities – and ones who couldn’t afford the get-in prices for games in Seattle – were treated to some unique viewing opportunities elsewhere in downtown. Pier 62 was the standout spot, featuring a ticketed activation area with games broadcasted on the big screen. The pathways and staircases of the waterfront nearby were often packed with crowds who could see the screen, which was set against the deep blue waters of Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains in the background. Adjacent to the pier was a floating barge that had been converted into an even more premium viewing space.

Further inland, the mall at Pacific Place was the site of a large number of watch parties. Matches were shown on a large LED screen in the building’s atrium, and fans had ample room to spread out across the three levels of the shopping center. Seattle Center, the area surrounding the Space Needle, also had game-viewing experiences and post-sunset drone shows following every match contested in the city.

Philadelphia

_{Attended and written by Will Halpern}

The Venue

In Philadelphia, one of the most celebrated sports cities in the United States and home to some of the country’s most .. erm, passionate … fan bases, the World Cup took place at Lincoln Financial Field. Typically home to the NFL’s Eagles, the venue was temporarily renamed Philadelphia Stadium throughout the tournament.

Despite having no roof to shield fans from the summer heat, it did little to dampen the atmosphere, as passionate supporters packed the Linc no matter who the competing nations were. The heat also didn’t do much to deter folks from enjoying the activities sprawled across the asphalt at the Philadelphia Sports Complex, which included soccer-themed challenges and local food trucks.

The Fans

In addition to a sizeable party setup outside the stadium, an official Fan Festival was held at Lemon Hill in Fairmount Park, just north of Center City. It stands out as the only completely free FIFA-organized festival in the United States. Another exciting hub was the Africatown Diaspora Festival in Southwest Philly, a one-day event that served as a large gathering spot for fans of African and Afro-Caribbean nations. All of the market’s merchandise had been sourced from Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire – two nations that both competed in Philadelphia.

The “Rocky Curse”, a superstition that supposedly jinxes teams after Philly’s Rocky Balboa statue in dressed in their attire, also became an international phenomenon during the World Cup. Ecuador was the first to succumb to the curse, dropping their opening match after Ivory Coast fans donned the statue with their opponent’s jersey. Brazil’s fanbase then launched so-called “Operation Protect Rocky”, forming a 24/7 physical barrier around the monument to prevent opposition supporters from throwing a Brazilian kit over the Rocky’s shoulders. Iraq fans would later make the adjacent steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art their home base for the tournament, and the French eventually merged with them for a joint cultural celebration.

The City

Most notably, Philadelphia was the site of a 4th of July match, coinciding with an epic celebration for America’s 250th anniversary. In this Round of 16 thriller, France defeated Paraguay 1-0. France’s appearance – and victory – echoed the storylines forged in the years following the signing of the Declaration of Independence, with the French being a critical ally for the colonists during the Revolutionary War. The French win in Philly was just one example of the American Revolution connection during the World Cup; during an England-Ghana faceoff outside Boston, play-by-play broadcaster John Strong said that “the English historically struggled in Massachusetts.”

After every match held in the City of Brotherly Love, the iconic strip of homes along the Schuylkill River known as Boathouse Row were illuminated in the colors of the winning team, glowing on the streets and the reflecting off the water. While other cities did drone shows or even nothing at all, Philly made sure to integrate the excitement of the World Cup into their already existing traditions and infrastructure.