Munich, July 1st, 2026– The FIFA World Cup 2026™ is the biggest edition of the tournament in history, bringing together 48 national teams across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico and the United States. But while some supporters will cross continents to experience the action in person, millions more will celebrate from home. 

Whether travelling between host cities in North America or returning home to watch matches with family and friends, mobility will play a key role in connecting fans to the moments that matter most.

North America’s biggest sporting event will also be a mobility challenge

With matches taking place across three countries, getting around may become one of the defining experiences of the tournament.

A recent Reuters analysis highlighted that the FIFA World Cup 2026™ presents both a major opportunity and a major test for North America’s transport systems. [1] With significant distances separating host cities and airfares expected to rise during the tournament, affordable ground transportation will become increasingly important for supporters attending multiple matches.

Flix, with its brands FlixBus and Greyhound, operates North America’s largest intercity bus network, offering fans an affordable and reliable alternative for traveling between matches, avoiding high airfare, airport hassles and heavy congestion in host cities.   

2026 FIFA World Cup host cities connected by Flixbus and Greyhound

• United States:Dallas, Los Angeles, New York / New Jersey, Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, San Francisco Bay Area, Kansas City, Houston, Seattle 
• Canada:Toronto, Vancouver 
• Mexico:Mexico City, Monterrey

Using Flixbus’s modern booking platform, fans can easily purchase direct tickets between any two host cities. Tickets can be booked online or through the FlixBus app. 

The emotional center of the World Cup isn’t always inside the stadium

Not everyone will travel to North America. For millions of supporters around the world, the World Cup experience will happen much closer to home and this may be just as important.

A 2020 study published in Collabra: Psychology followed German spectators during the 2018 FIFA World Cup and found that the tournament is fundamentally a collective emotional experience. [2] Researchers concluded that emotions associated with watching matches are strongly shaped by sharing the experience with others, transforming football from an individual activity into a powerful social event.

The study found that the World Cup creates what researchers describe as “group emotions”: moments of joy, anticipation and tension that are amplified when experienced together rather than alone.

For the fans who couldn’t make the trip to North America, the World Cup experience doesn’t end at the stadium. Millions will return home to gather with friends and family, turning living rooms, local bars and neighborhood communities into the emotional center of the tournament.

FlixBus’ local networks, spanning 20 of the 48 participating nations, can help fans reconnect with those moments that matter most, from Europe to Brazil or Australia. 

Whether it’s meeting university friends in another city for a match or spending an entire weekend with loved ones during the final rounds, Flix helps make those collective experiences possible.

At Flix, we believe every journey has a purpose. During the FIFA World Cup 2026™, that purpose is simple: helping fans connect with the people and moments that matter most.

[1] Reuters. World Cup gives North American transit chance to shine – or be booed.June 3, 2026.
[2] Götz, F. M., Stieger, S., Ebert, T., Rentfrow, P. J., & Lewetz, D. (2020). What Drives Our Emotions When We Watch Sporting Events? An ESM Study on the Affective Experience of German Spectators During the 2018 FIFA World Cup.Collabra: Psychology, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.1525/collabra.262.

About Flix

Flix intends to transform the collective transport sector by offering sustainable and affordable long-distance bus- and train travel solutions in more than 40 countries across five continents through its brands FlixBus, FlixTrain, Kamil Koç, and Greyhound. With its asset-light business model and innovative technology platform, Flix, launched in 2013, swiftly established a market-leading position for long-distance bus travel in Europe, North America and Türkiye and is expanding further into South America and Asia-Pacific region.

Driven by increased awareness for sustainable travel, Flix publicly committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as a framework for scientific decarbonization. In April 2024, the SBTi validated Flix’s near-term targets for emissions reduction, thus acknowledging that its strategy is in line with global climate goals.

While Flix manages the commercial side of the business such as network planning, pricing, operations control, marketing and sales, quality management and continuous product development with a data-driven approach, trusted Flix partners conduct the daily operations. The innovative combination of Flix’s technology and sales platform with traditional passenger travel has turned a European start-up into a leading and globally expanding travel tech company.

For more information, please visit www.corporate.flix.com