Where To Watch 2026 World Cup In Madison

MADISON, CT — Fans from around the globe have come to North America for matches that are being played across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The 2026 World Cup runs 39 days; it started on Thursday, June 11, and will end on July 19. For the first time, the tournament will feature 48 teams, making it the largest World Cup ever.

Subscribe

Eleven U.S. cities — Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and East Rutherford, New Jersey — are hosting matches.

At 8 p.m. EST on Wednesday, July 1, USA v Bosnia and Herzegovina was scheduled at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. The knockout game was part of the Round of 32.

Given the massive popularity of the World Cup, sports bars across the country are expected to draw large and energetic crowds. Some to consider in and around Madison include:

Madison

• Brother Mike's Madison
• Donahue's Madison Beach Grille
• James Madison House Bar & Restaurant
• Fat Duck Tavern

Guilford

• KC's Restaurant & Pub
• Sheppard's Tavern
• Country Tavern Cafe

Branford

• Eli's Branford
• Tommy Sullivan's Cafe
• Archie Moore's Bar & Restaurant

North Branford

• Rally Caps Sports Bar & Grill
• Bar Eighty

New Haven

• The Trinity Bar & Restaurant
• The Cannon
• Barracuda Bistro & Bar

The World Cup featured an unprecedented trio of star-studded opening ceremonies in the host nations, the United States, Canada and Mexico, created by the Italian producer behind the opening ceremony for this year's Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

The ceremonies' unifying theme is “the celebration of sports, the passion for soccer, symbolized by the cup itself,” Marco Balich, creative director of Milan-based Balich Wonder Studio, told The Associated Press. “The idea is to narrate with three points of view and languages” using design aesthetics representative of each culture.

In Canada, a mosaic represented its multicultural identity. Mexico's motif was the traditional paper cutouts called papel picado, while the United States had “a super shiny, glowing cup,” said Balich, who also produced the opening ceremony for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Each ceremony featured top artistic performances that tap into the national identity, but Balich said spectators shouldn’t expect a Super Bowl-style halftime extravaganza. Instead, the ceremonies combined welcoming speeches, a parade of flags, the presentation of the match ball and about 30 minutes of musical entertainment.

The U.S. opening ceremony took place Friday at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Beginning at 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time/7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, 90 minutes before the USA vs. Paraguay opening match. Katy Perry, Future, Anitta, LISA, Rema and Tyla headline an all-star lineup.

— The Associated Press contributed reporting.