39 Things to Do, Watch, Eat and Experience Before the World Cup Final
39 Things to Do, Watch, Eat and Experience Before the World Cup Final on July 19 — Your Ultimate Summer Bucket List ⚽☀️
One Unforgettable Summer.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 runs from June 11 to July 19 — exactly 39 days. One day, one bucket list moment. This is your complete guide to making every single day of the greatest sporting summer in North American history count — whether you’re a die-hard football fan, a lifestyle lover, a foodie, a traveller, or just someone who wants to be fully present for one of the most remarkable summers of their lifetime. ⚽☀️
I want to be honest about something: the World Cup is not just about football. It is about 39 days where the world shows up in one place and reminds itself what it feels like to share something. Every item on this list is an invitation to be part of that — in whatever way feels right for you. Print this list. Screenshot it. Work through it one day at a time. And see where you are by July 19. 🌍
⚽ How to use this list: There are 39 days between June 11 and July 19. Each bucket list item corresponds to one incredible thing you can do, watch, eat, wear, experience, or feel during the World Cup window. No rules — just make this summer one you actually remember. ✨
Things to WATCH — 10 Television Moments You Cannot Miss
Bucket list items 1–10 · On your screen, at a bar, in a fan zone, or at the stadium itself
Watch a USA match live — in person or at a fan zone Watch
The USMNT playing in a World Cup on home soil is a once-in-a-generation moment. Whether you attend the match itself, find a free fan zone in your city, or pack a sports bar — watch at least one USA game with a crowd. The energy is indescribable.
Experience a penalty shootout in real time Watch
There is nothing in sport that matches the tension of a penalty shootout. If you have never experienced one in a room full of people who care deeply about the outcome — this is your summer. Find the biggest screen possible and hold your breath.
Watch Messi — potentially his last World Cup Watch
Lionel Messi. Widely considered the greatest footballer ever to play the game. This is expected to be his final World Cup. Watch every Argentina match you can. Decades from now you will want to say you watched him play in 2026.
Watch a match at a free public fan zone Watch
Every host city has a free FIFA Fan Zone running all tournament — giant screens, food vendors, fans from every nation. Seattle has a four-story LED screen. NYC has 100+ free events. Find yours and go — no ticket required.
Host a proper themed watch party at home Watch
Choose a match, choose a country, decorate accordingly, cook the food, invite people, and make a memory. The watch party you host this World Cup summer is the one people will still be talking about in October.
Watch an upset — and feel every second of it Watch
Every World Cup produces at least one jaw-dropping upset where a small nation defeats a football giant. Be watching when it happens. The collective shock and celebration of fans around the world in those moments is truly unlike anything else.
Watch a Quarterfinal — the best football of the tournament Watch
July 9–11. Four matches. The eight best teams left in the world. Quarterfinals are where World Cups are truly decided and where legends are made. Clear your schedule for all four if you can.
Watch a morning match over brunch Watch
Most group stage matches kick off in the morning or early afternoon US time. There is something genuinely lovely about watching international football over a leisurely brunch with good food and good company. Make it a recurring ritual this summer.
Watch the Semifinal on a big screen outside Watch
July 14–15. Atlanta and Dallas hosting. Find an outdoor big screen situation — rooftop bar, park fan zone, outdoor restaurant — and watch the final four teams fight for a place in the New York final under the summer sky.
Watch THE FINAL — July 19 at MetLife Stadium NY Watch
The pinnacle. The World Cup Final. At MetLife Stadium just outside New York City. Whether you are inside the stadium, in a NYC fan zone, at a bar, or on your couch — watch this one live. This is history. Be present for it.
Things to EAT — 8 Food Experiences That Belong on Your List
Bucket list items 11–18 · Cook it, order it, discover it
Cook food from every country you watch Eat
This is the World Cup food challenge and it is genuinely one of the most fun things I have done this summer. Brazil plays → make pão de queijo. Mexico plays → street taco bar. Argentina → empanadas. Pick the countries, find the recipes, and eat your way around the world from your own kitchen.
Build a proper World Cup charcuterie board Eat
A beautiful grazing board is the ultimate watch party centrepiece. Cheeses, meats, fruits, crackers, and colour-coordinated sweets for whichever country is playing. Photograph it before anyone touches it. Then eat every single thing on it.
Try food from a country you’ve never eaten before Eat
With 48 nations in this tournament, the World Cup is a genuine invitation to try food cultures you may never have explored. Order from a restaurant you’ve always walked past. Cook a recipe from a country you’ve never visited. Let curiosity be your guide.
Make the World Cup punch for a watch party Eat
Orange juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, ginger ale, orange slices in a beautiful glass pitcher. It takes five minutes, looks incredible, photographs beautifully, and tastes like summer itself. Make it for every watch party for the rest of the tournament.
Eat at a restaurant from a competing nation Eat
Most major American cities have incredible restaurants serving food from World Cup nations. Make a reservation at a Brazilian churrascaria, a French bistro, a Japanese ramen spot, or a Mexican taqueria the night of or before their match. Eat the culture, not just the game.
Attempt homemade empanadas from scratch Eat
This is the one I am personally most proud of this summer. Yes you can use store-bought. But making them from actual scratch — the dough, the filling, the folding — is an afternoon project that pays off enormously in both deliciousness and smug satisfaction.
Have champagne ready for the Final — and pop it Eat
Buy the bottle. Chill it. Have it ready for July 19. Whether your team wins, your second team wins, or you are just celebrating being alive during one of the greatest sporting events in history — pop it. You deserve it.
International brunch spread for the Final morning Eat
The morning of July 19 before the World Cup Final is a special occasion that deserves a special meal. Make a brunch spread that represents both finalists — one dish from each country playing for the title. Then sit down together and watch history.
Things to WEAR — 6 Style Moments for the World Cup Summer
Bucket list items 19–24 · Fashion for the greatest sporting summer of the decade
Wear your team’s jersey at least once — styled properly Wear
The jersey worn as a mini dress over bike shorts with chunky sneakers and a bucket hat. This is the summer’s most effortlessly chic athletic look and it deserves to be worn at least once. Pick a team, find the jersey, and commit.
Create a flag-inspired outfit without wearing a jersey Wear
Your team’s flag colours, interpreted through actual fashion. Navy and white and red for France. Yellow and green for Brazil. Blue and white for Argentina. Build a real outfit around your team’s colours and see how elevated game day dressing can be.
Try a flag-inspired makeup look for match day Wear
Flag makeup is one of the most-searched beauty trends every World Cup. You do not need face paint — the look can be as subtle as your team’s accent colour as an eye shadow pop or a bold lip in flag colours. Beautiful, seasonal, and completely shareable.
Wear a silk scarf tied in your team’s colours Wear
Around your bag handle, in your hair as a headband, or as a neck scarf. A silk scarf in your team’s flag colours is the most elegant and versatile World Cup accessory possible. It works with every outfit and photographs beautifully every time.
Build your ultimate Final watch party outfit Wear
The Final is July 19. You have until then to figure out the perfect outfit for the biggest watch party of your summer. Start planning now — and make it memorable enough that you want to frame the photo from that night.
Wear a bucket hat to an outdoor watch event Wear
The bucket hat is having its biggest moment in years and it is the perfect functional-meets-fashionable accessory for outdoor World Cup events in summer heat. Get one in your team’s colour or classic white and wear it proudly to every outdoor game day event.
Places to GO — 8 Experiences Worth Leaving the House For
Bucket list items 25–32 · From day trips to match days to city adventures
Attend a free FIFA Fan Zone in your nearest host city Go
Every host city — Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, Kansas City, LA, Seattle, SF, NYC — has a free official fan zone. No ticket needed. Giant screens, international atmosphere, food vendors from around the world. This is a day trip worth taking.
Attend an actual World Cup match in person Go
Group stage tickets are still available and accessible. Use the free trip budget calculator below to see the realistic cost of attending a match in the city nearest you — it might be more achievable than you think. This is a once-in-a-lifetime bucket list item for most people.
Go to NYC for the Final week atmosphere — July 15–19 Go
Even if you don’t have Final tickets, New York in Final week is going to be one of the most electric places on earth. The fan zones, the streets, the bars, the rooftops — the entire city will be hosting the world. Being there without a ticket is still an extraordinary experience.
Watch a match at a rooftop bar in a US host city Go
Miami rooftop. Dallas rooftop. New York rooftop. Football on a big screen with the city skyline behind you and a cold drink in your hand is one of the most summer things you can possibly do in 2026. Find your city, find the rooftop, book a spot.
Plan a road trip to a host city you’ve never visited Go
Kansas City. Philadelphia. Seattle. Atlanta. The World Cup is an extraordinary excuse to visit an American city you have always meant to explore. Combine the football atmosphere with actual tourism — explore the city the day before, watch the match day of.
Find a bar full of international fans for one match Go
Find the Brazilian community bar showing the Brazil match. The Italian sports cafe. The pub packed with English fans. Watching a World Cup match surrounded by passionate fans of one of the competing nations is an experience entirely different from watching at home.
Take yourself to the LA County free park watch party Go
LA County is hosting 5 free soccer watch parties at parks across the county. Outdoor, summer evening, free, community. Bring a blanket, bring snacks, bring whoever you love spending time with. This is exactly what the World Cup was built for.
See the four-story LED screen in Seattle Go
Pacific Place and the Seattle Soccer House have set up a four-story LED screen for World Cup matches — completely free to attend. If you are anywhere near Seattle this summer, this is genuinely one of the most impressive free sports viewing experiences in the entire country.
Calculate Your Trip Budget First — It’s Free
Free World Cup Watch Locations Around the Country 🆓🌍
You absolutely do not need a match ticket to experience the World Cup this summer. Here is exactly where to watch for free across the country:
Things to FEEL & DO — 7 Experiences That Go Beyond Football
Bucket list items 33–39 · The moments that make this summer unforgettable
Learn the actual offside rule — and explain it to someone Do
A rite of passage for every person newly invested in football. Look it up, understand it properly, and then explain it to someone else at the next watch party. The act of explaining it cements it. You will feel extraordinarily capable afterwards.
Make a bracket and compete with friends Do
Print a World Cup bracket, fill in your predictions for every knockout stage result, and see how yours does against your friends and family. There are free printable brackets available online. The person with the most wrong predictions has to cook the next watch party dinner.
Document your World Cup summer in a dedicated album Do
Every outfit, every watch party spread, every fan zone visit, every match score you celebrate — photograph it and keep it all in one dedicated album. Future you will be obsessed with having a complete record of this summer. Start the album on day one.
Pick a second team and commit to them all summer Feel
Pick a nation other than the USA to support — based on your heritage, a country you’ve visited, a player you admire, or just the most beautiful jersey. And then actually follow them. Check their scores. Learn one or two player names. Feel the wins and losses. This is how new football fans are made.
Call someone who has waited their whole life for this Feel
Find the person in your life — a parent, grandparent, lifelong football fan, immigrant who brought their love of the game to America — and watch a match with them or call them before a big game. Their relationship with this tournament is something you can be part of right now.
Feel the collective grief of an elimination — and the joy of a comeback Feel
The World Cup’s greatest gift is emotional range. Let yourself feel the heartbreak when a team you love gets knocked out. And let yourself feel the complete euphoria of an unexpected comeback. These are the moments people carry with them forever.
Watch the Final on July 19 and be fully present for it Feel
The last item on this list is the most important one. On July 19 — wherever you are, however you are watching — put your phone down for the 90 minutes of the World Cup Final. No scrolling. No half-watching. Just be present for one of the most-watched single events in human history. You will never regret being fully there for it.
Go Live This Summer, Friend 🌍⚽☀️
Thirty-nine days. Thirty-nine chances to show up fully for one of the greatest sporting summers North America has ever hosted. Not all 39 items on this list will fit into your life and that is completely fine — even ten of them will make this summer something you remember. Even five will.
The World Cup does not ask you to be an expert. It does not ask you to have watched every tournament since 1958. It asks you to show up, pay attention, eat something delicious, feel something real, and be part of something bigger than yourself for a few weeks in the middle of summer. That is an invitation worth accepting. 🌍⚽✨
