BOSTON — A dispute is brewing between the MBTA and the City of Boston over plans to shut down a key roadway near South Station during the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup match days, with just weeks to go before the first matches at Gillette Stadium.
According to a report from The Boston Globe, the MBTA is proposing to close Summer Street between Atlantic Avenue and Dorchester Avenue to manage large crowds expected to travel to Foxborough by commuter rail train.
The stretch of road would serve as a staging area where fans would line up before boarding special-event trains to Gillette Stadium for the seven matches that are slated to be played there starting in June.
In a letter sent to city officials on Friday, the MBTA indicated the closure would move forward regardless of whether the city signs off on the plan.
“We also believe that safety can go hand in hand with activating the downtown area and allowing people to go back and forth to access where they need to be from their residential neighborhood over to downtown businesses,” said Mayor Michelle Wu.
“.....And that a partial closure or relocation of where the staging would be either in the Dewey Square park right across the street or on a street that is around the corner would provide just as much space or even more space and potentially even more safety because it’s out of the roadway,” she said.
“I understand there is a 30-day window that they felt they needed to take action on providing notice on a certain day, but we believe and hope that this will be resolved as were getting down to it.”
However, Boston officials are pushing back, saying they have experience handling large-scale events and believe a full street shutdown should be considered only as a last resort.
The first World Cup match is scheduled for Saturday, June 13. In total, Gillette will host five group-stage games, a Round of 32 match, and a quarterfinal:
- Match 5 – Saturday, 13 June 2026 at 21:00 ET, HAI v. SCO (Group C)
- Match 18 – Tuesday, 16 June 2026 at 18:00 ET, IRQ v. NOR (Group I)
- Match 30 – Friday, 19 June 2026 at 18:00 ET, SCO v. MAR (Group C)
- Match 25 – Tuesday, 23 June 2026 at 16:00 ET, ENG v. GHA (Group L)
- Match 61 – Friday, 26 June 2026 at 15:00 ET, NOR v. FRA (Group I)
- Match 74 – Monday, 29 June 2026 at 16:30 ET, Round of 32
- Match 97 – Thursday, 9 July 2026 at 16:00 ET, Quarter-Final
To learn more about the area, the sport, and all of the upcoming World Cup games, visit bostonsoccerguide2026.com.
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