World Cup 2026 Game Planning
Planning Overview
The Situation
We have 4 tickets to each of 4 FIFA World Cup 2026 matches (16 tickets total). Three are Croatia group stage games; the fourth is a Round of 32 knockout match at our home stadium.
Our Matches
| # | Date | Match | City | Venue | Kickoff (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wed, Jun 17 | England vs. Croatia | Dallas, TX | AT&T Stadium (80k) | 4:00 PM |
| 2 | Tue, Jun 23 | Panama vs. Croatia | Toronto, Canada | BMO Field (~30k) | 7:00 PM |
| 3 | Sat, Jun 27 | Croatia vs. Ghana | Philadelphia, PA | Lincoln Financial Field (69k) | 5:00 PM |
| 4 | Mon, Jun 29 | 1E vs. 3A/B/C/D/F (Match 74) | Foxborough, MA | Gillette Stadium (65k) | 4:30 PM |
Who Goes Where (Decided)
| Game | Date | City | Attendees | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England vs Croatia | Wed Jun 17 | Dallas | Marina + Luka (definite), Sukru + Maja (TBD) | If S+M skip, sell 2 tickets |
| Panama vs Croatia | Tue Jun 23 | Toronto | Marina + Luka + Sukru + Maja (all 4) | S+M meet in Toronto if they skip Dallas |
| Croatia vs Ghana | Sat Jun 27 | Philadelphia | Marina + Luka + FIL (+ Sukru TBD) | Maja stays home. |
| Match 74 (Gillette) | Mon Jun 29 | Foxborough | TBD | Ignore for now – focus on group stage |
FIL (Marina’s father, flying from LAX) attends the Philly game only. FIL covers his own flight costs ($693.77) – tracked separately from the family budget. Shares the family hotel room. BIL dropped out Mar 26.
The Open Question
Should Sukru + Maja join Dallas, or just meet everyone in Toronto?
- Scenario A: Full family does Dallas + Toronto (2 weeks on the road)
- Scenario B: Marina + Luka do Dallas alone, fly home; all 4 fly to Toronto together Jun 19 or 20 (4-5 nights for S+M)
- If Scenario B, sell 2 Dallas tickets (~$3,100 net)
Decided: Scenario B. ~$5,000-5,550 savings. Analysis preserved in git history.
Travel Flows
Scenario A: Full Family Does Dallas + Toronto (not selected)
Jun 15 (Mon) All 4: BOS -> DFW (arrive, settle in)
Jun 16 (Tue) Dallas sightseeing
Jun 17 (Wed) GAME DAY -- England vs Croatia, 3 PM CT
Jun 18 (Thu) All 4: DFW -> YYZ (straight to Toronto)
Jun 19-22 Toronto sightseeing (4 extra days!)
Jun 23 (Tue) GAME DAY -- Panama vs Croatia, 7 PM ET
Jun 24 (Wed) All 4: Toronto -> BOS (home)
Jun 25 (Thu) Marina + Luka: BOS -> PHL (JetBlue 6:10 PM nonstop)
Jun 26 (Fri) Philly sightseeing with FIL
Jun 27 (Sat) GAME DAY -- Croatia vs Ghana, 5 PM ET
Jun 28 (Sun) Post-game day -- relaxed sightseeing
Jun 29 (Mon) Marina + Luka: PHL -> BOS (home)
Scenario B (Updated): M+L Return from Dallas; All 4 Fly to Toronto Together
Jun 15 (Mon) Marina + Luka: BOS -> DFW
Jun 16 (Tue) Dallas sightseeing (Marina + Luka)
Jun 17 (Wed) GAME DAY -- England vs Croatia (Marina + Luka)
Jun 18 (Thu) Marina + Luka: DFW -> BOS (return home -- AA nonstop, $327/pp)
Jun 19 (Fri) Option: All 4 BOS -> YYZ (5 nights Toronto -- Porter $137/pp 10:05 AM)
[!] M+L have only ~18h recovery after Dallas
Jun 20 (Sat) Option: All 4 BOS -> YYZ (4 nights Toronto -- Porter $137/pp 6:35 PM)
Full recovery day for M+L
Jun 21-22 Toronto sightseeing
Jun 23 (Tue) GAME DAY -- Panama vs Croatia (all 4)
Jun 24 (Wed) All 4: Toronto -> BOS (home)
Jun 25 (Thu) Same as Scenario A from here
Sell 2 Dallas tickets (~$3,100 net)
Jun 19 vs Jun 20: Flights are identical ($137/pp both days). Jun 19 adds ~$550 (hotel + meals) for 1 extra Toronto day. Jun 19 gives 4 full days (Niagara feasible); Jun 20 gives 3 full days. Tradeoff: M+L recovery time.
Philadelphia (Both Scenarios)
Option C (chosen): Fly home first, arrive Jun 25 (2 sightseeing days).
Jun 25 arrival (booked):
Jun 24 (Wed) All 4 fly YTZ -> BOS (Porter PD 2945 1:00 PM, conf [CONF])
M+L spend night at home
Jun 25 (Thu) M+L fly BOS -> PHL (B6 2459 6:10 PM, arrive 7:49 PM, conf [CONF])
FIL arrives PHL (AA 3319 12:19 PM -> 8:38 PM, conf [CONF])
All meet at PHL, share ride to Element Downtown
Jun 26 (Fri) Philly sightseeing
Jun 27 (Sat) GAME DAY -- Croatia vs Ghana, 5 PM ET
Jun 28 (Sun) Post-game day -- relaxed sightseeing
Jun 29 (Mon) M+L depart B6 1160 9:12 AM -> BOS. FIL departs AA 824 9:46 AM -> LAX.
Marina’s requirements:
- Arrive at each city at least 2 nights before the game (night before the day before)
- Arrive PHL close to FIL’s flight so they can go to hotel together
- Leave the day after each game
Planning Documents
| Doc | What’s in it |
|---|---|
| 02 – Match Analysis | Tactical preview, key players, history, and what to watch for – all 3 group matches |
| 03 – Dallas | Full trip research: flights, attractions, food, hotels, game-day logistics, itinerary |
| 04 – Toronto | Full trip research: attractions, food, hotels, border crossing, game-day logistics, itinerary |
| 05 – Philadelphia | Full trip research: attractions, food, hotels, game-day logistics, FIL coordination |
| 06 – City Highlights | What to look forward to in each city, per-person recommendations |
| 07 – Tickets & Resale | Face values, resale estimates, FIFA marketplace rules, timing strategy |
| 08 – Match 74 at Gillette | Round of 32 analysis: likely opponents, demand, logistics |
| 09 – Dallas Resale Action Plan | Dallas ticket resale pricing strategy, timeline, step-by-step |
| 10 – Turkey at the 2026 World Cup | Turkey’s WC history, playoff final, Group D analysis, knockout paths, Match 74 connection |
| 11 – Booked Inventory | Everything purchased: flights, hotels, match tickets, cost summary |
Deleted docs (preserved in git history): flight fares, hotel pricing, cost analysis, scenario A/B summaries, city comparison, family decision guide, Dallas vs Toronto decision, JetBlue strategy, BOS-DFW/YYZ flights, Philly hotels, FIL/BIL flights.
Key Dates
| Date | What |
|---|---|
| Mar 27 | Create AA AAdvantage accounts for Marina + Luka (link to [CONF]) |
| Apr 2 | FIFA Resale Marketplace opens – list 2 Dallas tickets |
| ~Apr 20 | Check Luka + Maja passport renewal status |
| May 21 | Last free cancel date for Westin Harbour Castle Toronto |
| Jun 4 | Marina + Maja fly BOS->LAX (baby shower, B6 387 5:35 PM) |
| Jun 7 | Marina + Maja fly LAX->BOS (B6 988 9:15 AM) |
| Jun 15 | Marina + Luka fly BOS->DFW (DL 2305 6:50 PM) |
| Jun 17 | Game 1: England vs Croatia (AT&T Stadium, Dallas, 3:00 PM CT) |
| Jun 18 | Marina + Luka fly DFW->BOS (AA 2878 9:30 AM CT, arrive 2:18 PM ET) |
| Jun 20 | All 4 fly BOS->YTZ (PD 2946 5:30 PM) |
| Jun 23 | Game 2: Panama vs Croatia (BMO Field, Toronto, 7:00 PM ET) |
| Jun 24 | All 4 fly YTZ->BOS (PD 2945 1:00 PM) |
| Jun 25 | M+L fly BOS->PHL (B6 2459 6:10 PM). FIL arrives LAX->PHL (AA 3319 12:19 PM). Check in Element Downtown. |
| Jun 27 | Game 3: Croatia vs Ghana (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, 5:00 PM ET) |
| Jun 29 | M+L depart PHL->BOS (B6 1160 9:12 AM). FIL departs PHL->LAX (AA 824 9:46 AM). |
| Jun 29 | Game 4: Match 74 at Gillette (Round of 32, 4:30 PM ET – TBD if attending) |
Still TODO
- Decided: Scenario B – Marina+Luka do Dallas, all 4 meet in Toronto
- Book all family flights (8 legs, 4 airlines, $3,959 cash + 141,400 miles/pts)
- Book hotels – Dallas (Residence Inn, $1,876) and Toronto (Westin, ~$2,308)
-
Book Philly hotel– Element Downtown, conf #[CONF], Deluxe 2Q City View - List 2 Dallas tickets on FIFA Resale Marketplace (Apr 2)
- Create AA AAdvantage accounts for Marina + Luka (by Mar 27)
- Check Luka + Maja passport status (~Apr 20)
- Book Independence Hall timed tickets (free, Recreation.gov)
-
FIL flights booked– AA RT LAX<->PHL, conf [CONF]. BIL dropped out Mar 26. - Decide on Match 74 (Gillette) after group stage
- Book Independence Hall timed tickets (free, Recreation.gov) for Philly
- Prepare notarized consent letter if Marina + Luka cross into Canada without Sukru (Scenario B, Dallas leg)