This article is part of our World Cup Stadium Guides series, in which we look at the 16 venues that will host matches at the 2026 tournament.

Rooted in a past that helped shape a nation, Boston is a region with plenty of history.

It is where key moments in the United States’ past took place, including the Boston Tea Party and the opening clashes of the American Revolutionary War.

In sports, championship-winning teams for the Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox and Boston Bruins have helped define a legacy of success.

And, just outside the capital of Massachusetts, Boston Stadium (as it will be known for the World Cup) has been central to that sporting reputation.

That is in no small part thanks to the dominance of NFL side the New England Patriots, while Major League Soccer outfit the New England Revolution also call the stadium home. As interest in the beautiful game Stateside continues to grow, it will now take centre stage this summer.

Here’s what you need to know about Boston Stadium ahead of the World Cup.

What is it normally called? And what will it be called at the World Cup?

The stadium is usually known as Gillette Stadium, after the shaving brand that holds the naming rights.

Due to FIFA’s commercial regulations, it will be referred to as Boston Stadium during the 2026 World Cup — and all the usual stadium signage must be covered up.

Despite the name, the venue is not located directly in Boston — it sits almost 30 miles southwest in Foxboro, Massachusetts. It was at the centre of a dispute as Foxboro did not want to pay the $7.8million (£5.8m) security costs associated with the World Cup, before an “understanding” was reached with the stadium owner Kraft Sports & Entertainment (KSE) and the Boston host committee in March.

When did it open, how much did it cost, and who plays there?

The stadium opened in 2002, replacing the former Foxboro Stadium.

Built at a cost of approximately $325million, it was designed as a modern, multi-purpose venue capable of hosting both American football and soccer at the highest level.

As the home of the New England Patriots and New England Revolution, it is one of the few stadiums in the U.S. regularly used for both sports.

The first NFL regular season game held there was against the Pittsburgh Steelers, in September 2002.

The stadium has since been through a $250million renovation that was completed in 2023, marking the largest upgrade process since its opening.

What are the most famous moments that have happened there?

Unsurprisingly, many of the most iconic moments belong to the Patriots, a team that has long dominated the NFL.

During the eras of legendary former quarterback Tom Brady and longtime head coach Bill Belichick, they built a dynasty that helped define a generation. Their Super Bowl victories were played elsewhere, but this is where the foundations of their success were built.

Among the significant moments are the 2003 AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts, and a 2007 win against the San Diego Chargers that helped the Patriots complete a perfect regular season.

The 2017 AFC Championship Game win against the Pittsburgh Steelers was another memorable moment, as was the comeback victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2018 AFC Championship Game. The 2014 comeback win against the Baltimore Ravens was also notable.

In soccer, the Revolution produced a historic season in 2021, winning the Supporters’ Shield. The stadium has hosted international fixtures and was one of the venues for the 2003 Women’s World Cup. The 2016 NHL Winter Classic was hosted here, too.

Beyond sport, the stadium has hosted global superstars including Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé.

How many fans can it hold? Will it be full for the World Cup?

The stadium has a standard capacity of around 65,000, but it can expand to more than 68,000 for some events. For the World Cup, it is expected to be close to full capacity for all matches.

A recent friendly match between France and Brazil drew a crowd of 66,215 — the second-largest gate for a soccer game here, behind a 2007 friendly between Brazil and Mexico that brought in 67,584 fans.

France’s friendly against Brazil drew in 66,215 fans (Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The highest attendance for any event is held by singer Ed Sheeran. His concert in 2023 attracted a crowd of 71,723.

What kind of pitch does it use?

It typically uses a FieldTurf artificial surface, which is standard for NFL competition.

For the World Cup, however, FIFA regulations require natural grass and a temporary grass pitch has been installed specifically for the tournament.

It has already undergone matchday testing. The process of replacing the field began in February and a grass pitch was in place for the Brazil-France game.

Special irrigation and ventilation techniques are being used to maintain surface quality.

There is no roof on the stadium, unlike some others across America.

What will the weather be like?

In the Boston and Foxboro area, June and July generally bring warm and humid conditions.

Temperatures typically range from 68°F (20C) and 86°F (30C), with occasional rain or thunderstorms possible.

Are there other changes for the World Cup?

As with all World Cup venues, several temporary adjustments are required.

Beyond the installation of a natural grass pitch, Boston Stadium must remove sponsor branding in line with FIFA regulations. Upgrades to seating, media facilities, security and hospitality areas are also going ahead.

How do you get there?

Getting to the stadium requires some planning, as it is located outside central Boston.

Special train services will run between South Station and Boston Stadium at a cost of $80, sold on the mTicket site.

For those driving, the stadium is accessible via major highways, but traffic can be heavy during big events.

There will only be 5,000 parking spots available for fans at Boston Stadium this summer (Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

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Twenty-thousand parking spots are usually available around the stadium during New England Patriots games, but there will only be 5,000 spots for fans parking at the World Cup, due to a new safety perimeter around the stadium.

Shuttle services are common, but fans are advised to allow extra time. Rideshare options are available and the stadium has a designated drop-off spot.

What can fans expect?

Inside the stadium, fans can expect a modern venue with strong sightlines and an atmosphere that is usually intense.

There is also a stunning video display board measuring 60ft high by 370ft wide, situated in the north end.

A view of the 60ft by 370ft video display board at Boston Stadium (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

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Beyond the stadium itself, the surrounding Patriot Place offers a full matchday experience — with restaurants, bars and fan areas creating a lively build-up to games right alongside the main venue.

Anything else I should know?

One of the stadium’s standout additions is impossible to miss: a 22-story lighthouse towering above the north end zone.

At the top sits a 360-degree observation deck offering views of the stadium and beyond.

The design is a nod to New England’s maritime identity — a region shaped by the sea and dotted with more than 100 historic lighthouses.

Which games will be played there?

There will be five group games and two knockout games played at Boston Stadium.

June 13, Group C: Haiti v Scotland, 9pm local time, 2am BST (+1)
June 16, Group I: Iraq v Norway, 6pm local time, 11pm BST
June 19, Group C: Scotland v Morocco, 6pm local time, 11pm BST
June 23, Group L: England v Ghana, 4pm local time, 9pm BST
June 26, Group I: Norway v France, 3pm local time, 8pm BST
June 29, Round of 32 game: 4.30pm local time, 9.30pm BST
July 9, Quarterfinal game: 4pm local time, 9pm BST

Held on the first Monday in May each year, the 2026 Met Gala features a “Fashion is Art” dress code, inspired by the institute’s spring exhibition, “Costume Art.” Opening to the public on May 10, the exhibition is the first to be housed in the new Condé M. Nast Galleries, located adjacent to the museum’s Great Hall.

Bringing out fashionable A-list stars from Hollywood and beyond, this year’s soirée once again features Anna Wintour back as a co-chair, marking her first Met Gala since her announcement last year that she was stepping down as editor-in-chief of Vogue. A trio of icons from across entertainment and sports join Wintour for the 2026 festivities, with Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, and Venus Williams also serving as co-chairs.

Meanwhile, the gala’s host committee is pretty start-studded as well. Co-chaired by fashion designer Anthony Vaccarello and actress Zoë Kravitz, this year’s committee is comprised of Adut Akech, Angela Bassett, Sinéad Burke, Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Gwendoline Christie, Alex Consani, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Paloma Elsesser, Rebecca Hall, LISA, Chloe Malle, Aimee Mullins, Sam Smith, Tschabalala Self, Amy Sherald, Teyana Taylor, Lauren Wasser, Anna Weyant, A’ja Wilson, Chase Sui Wonders, and Yseult.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sánchez Bezos are the lead sponsors for both the gala and spring exhibition, and will serve as honorary chairs for Monday’s party.

Check out below to see all the top fashion moments and looks from the 2026 Met Gala red carpet.

Matt Juul can be reached at matthew.juul@globe.com.

Boston is staring down a mass exodus of young residents who are being squeezed out by surging housing costs driving them toward more affordable markets, according to a new survey. 

The 2026 Young Residents Survey, commissioned by The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Foundation, found that more than a quarter of Bostonians (26%) between the ages of 20 and 30 years old say they plan on leaving the metro in the next five years—a share the organization calls “distressing.”

The survey also determined that newer residents, LGBTQ residents, unemployed residents, students and unmarried people were more likely to report plans to leave Boston.

The share of survey participants heading for the exit is similar to the results of the 2023 survey, which found 25% of respondents eyeing a move three years ago.

The latest study was conducted in February and March and included 600 young people living in the Greater Boston area, which includes Suffolk, Norfolk, Middlesex, Plymouth, and Essex counties.

The findings reveal that when deciding to stay or leave, 78% of respondents said the cost of rent is important, and 72% cited the ability to buy a home. 

The cost of staying

As the region grapples with a housing crisis, half of survey respondents said that affordable housing should be a top priority for local leaders.  

“It’s no surprise that housing affordability is a top issue in Boston, especially for the youngest residents who are more likely to be renters,” says Realtor.com® senior economist Jake Krimmel.

Median asking rents in Boston stood at $2,918 in March, the second-highest among the nation’s top 50 metros, surpassing New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and trailing only ultra-expensive San Jose, CA.

On the homebuying side, Boston’s real estate market is one of the nation’s least affordable, with median listing prices climbing to $832,500 in April—the fifth-highest among major U.S. metros and nearly double the national median, according to the latest Realtor.com monthly housing market trends report.

Concerns over housing affordability, along with job availability, and safety, have soured the outlook for young Bostonians, with the report showing that life satisfaction has plummeted from 89% to 79% in just three years. 

Why the Sun Belt is winning over Bostonians

Among the responders planning to leave Boston, approximately half are looking to move within Massachusetts and the rest are considering venturing out of the state. 

A deeper dive into the 30-page report shows that 46% of Bostonians planning to exit the Northeast are headed South. Specifically, 23% are looking to settle in Southeastern states, such as Florida, Kentucky, or Tennessee, while another 23% are mulling a move to the Southwest, which includes Arizona and New Mexico. 

Compared with Massachusetts, these states offer more inventory and lower housing costs, making them magnets for debt-burdened college graduates and early-career professionals.

“The region’s affordability continues to be a concern as young residents struggle to seize opportunities that outweigh challenges, like housing and career growth,” the Chamber of Commerce Foundation said. “Competitor states that are more affordable may be appealing to young residents who are eager to find housing to rent or purchase that is more affordable and accessible.”

Jack Gaughan, a Nashville Re/Max broker and president of Greater Nashville Realtors®, has helped a transplant from Boston in his mid-30 put down roots in Nashville.

“He originally moved right around COVID but rented until he decided Nashville was the place he wanted to call home,” Gaughan tells Realtor.com.

The broker says his client, a western Massachusetts native who spent nearly a decade living in Boston, wanted to invest in a property that was “modern but functional.” In the end, he closed on a four-bedroom home in a trendy part of Nashville.

For perspective, Nashville’s median listing price was just under $539,000 in April, nearly $300,000 below Boston’s.

The hidden cost of losing Gen Z

Krimmel says that while an outflow of young people from Boston might put some downward pressure on rent price growth in the short term, the long-term trade-off would be a major blow to the metro’s economy.

“Boston’s young people are overwhelmingly high-skilled college graduates who play an important role in the job market, entrepreneurship and innovation scene, and the local service economy, too,” he says.

Krimmel also points out that in a metro with so many universities, including Harvard and MIT, even if tens of thousands of young people moved out overnight, there would be tens of thousands of other recent graduates or current students to take their place.

“That’s the root of Boston’s rental market crisis: a seemingly never-ending supply of young, educated renters but never enough supply of rental housing for them,” says the economist.

To reverse this trend, Krimmel says the answer is simple in theory but seemingly impossible in practice: increase housing supply of all types at all price points, both in the urban core and lower-density suburbs.

In 2025, Gov. Maura Healey’s administration unveiled a housing plan indicating that Massachusetts needs to add 222,000 new homes by 2035 to keep up with growing demand while keeping costs in check. 

A year earlier, Healey, a Democrat, signed The Affordable Homes Act, which authorized a record $5 billion for housing and created nearly 50 initiatives aimed at speeding up housing production.

Yet, progress has been elusive. Last fall, Massachusetts received an F on the Realtor.com State-by-State Housing Report Card after falling behind most other states on affordability and new home construction.

During her monthly “Ask the Governor” segment on Boston Public Radio that aired in late March, Healey addressed her administration’s efforts to keep Massachusetts’ young people from moving somewhere cheaper, stressing that it is a trend currently haunting other high-cost areas like California and New York. 

“Over the last three-and-a-half years, we’ve got 100,000 homes in the pipeline. Is it enough? No,” admitted the governor. “I need every community in the state to understand that housing is fundamental to the vibrancy of our neighborhoods.”