The national headlines will be brief: Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 during the first of seven World Cup matches hosted by Boston.
But here? The city and entire region was gripped with World Cup fever. Here are some photos from the tournament’s opening weekend:
Scottish fans at the FIFA Fan Festival Boston at City Hall Plaza rejoice as their team defeats Haiti 1-0 during the World Cup game at Foxborough. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)Scottish fans erupt as Scotland holds on to win their first game of the World Cup against Haiti 1-0 at the FIFA Fan Festival Boston at City Hall Plaza. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)Rachel Tutzauer of Montreal lets a Scottish flag fly at a misting station at the FIFA Fan Festival at City Hall Plaza. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)Tamar Conserve and Lydia Djenane Francois hold hands as time is running out for the team from Haiti to tie the game against Scotland. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)A young Scottish fan sits high on shoulders while watching the World Cup match between Scotland and Haiti at the FIFA Fan Festival Boston. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)Traditional Haitian street band Freda Rara performs in the crowd at the FIFA Fan Festival. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)Haiti fans wave flags and cheer for their team on game day in Mattapan, Mass. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)Haiti fans wave flags and cheer for their team on game day in Mattapan. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)Scottish and Haitian fans dance and chant together inside South Station waiting to board MBTA trains to the World Cup match between Scotland and Haiti to Foxborough. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)A group of fans board the first MBTA train at South Station to the first World Cup match between Scotland and Haiti in Foxborough. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)Fans file into the entryway at South Station to board trains to the first World Cup match between Scotland and Haiti from to Foxborough. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)A Scottish fan chants while holding a plush deer head while waiting to board an MBTA train at South Station. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)Teams line up for their national anthems ahead of the World Cup Group C soccer match between Haiti and Scotland in Foxborough. (Martin Meissner/AP)Haiti’s Frantzdy Pierrot (20) makes an attempt to score against Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn (1) during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Haiti and Scotland in Foxborough. (Mark Stockwell/AP)Haiti fans cheer during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Haiti and Scotland in Foxborough. (Charlie Krupa/AP)Scotland’s Lewis Ferguson (19) and Haiti’s Frantzdy Pierrot (20) go up for a header during the World Cup Group C soccer match between Haiti and Scotland in Foxborough. (Charlie Krupa/AP)A group of Scotland fans from Oban pass a soccer ball in a circle on Boston Common. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)France men’s national team striker Kylian Mbappé dibbles the ball during a practice Friday at Bentley University in Waltham. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)Fans welcome Craig Ferguson at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Boston Common where he ended his walk from Los Angeles. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)Scotland fans walk through downtown Boston as the 2026 men’s World Cup gets underway. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)A fan waves the Mexican flag at the Fiesta Fútbol. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)Maribel Garcia wears a Mexico jersey at the “Fiesta Futbol” in Chelsea Square. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)A fan cheers on his team at the watch party in Chelsea Square. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
