Levis Stadium (known as San Francisco Stadium by the Bay due to FIFA restrictions during the World Cup), site of Paraguay’s 1–0 victory over Turkiye on June 19, 2026. Image via author.

Road to the World Cup- Detailing My Experience Attending a Match in Soccer’s Biggest Global Display

Watching my first World Cup match in person ended up being the experience of a lifetime

Every four years, the FIFA World Cup hops around the globe, setting up their epic century-old tournament in a different part of the world. The ability to attend one of the matches is dependent on a number of factors, not least of which is location and ease of access. As fate would have it, the 2026 World Cup happened to be my first opportunity to attend a match in person, and what a time it was! Come with me as I detail my unforgettable experience.

The journey truly started this past fall, when my friend and Union Report co-founder, Chris, surprised me by letting me know he had obtained a couple of tickets for a yet-to-be determined June 19, 2026 match that ultimately became Turkey (Turkiye) vs. Paraguay at Levis Stadium (known during the World Cup as the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium due to sponsorship/trademark issues) in Santa Clara. Sadly, an obligation later arose that prevented Chris from being able to attend, but he insisted that his remarkable gift still be used; and used it was.

With my friend and neighbor R.J. standing in for Chris, we hit the road early in the morning of the 19th. We were following the basic principles of a rudimentary itinerary we had previously worked out: soccer, soccer and more soccer.

We made our first stop about an hour later, when we veered off the interstate at roughly the half-way point to hit the outlet stores in Gilroy. Knowing/hoping that a variety of chains had an abundance of soccer merchandise, we wanted to see what we could find. Our hunch was proved correct, and places like Adidas and Puma were loaded with a variety of items they typically might not otherwise carry. We both made sure to not walk away empty-handed, and I was pleased to find a few things that caught my eye. However, my favorites included:

A Team Italy kit that normally sells for $150 but was discounted 80%:

A former avid trading card collector, I am no longer active in the hobby but bought a pack of soccer cards and made a very cool and unexpected hit of a game-used relic card of Real Madrid’s Vincius Jr.:

R.J. and I had been fortunate to have secured hotel rooms within 15 minutes of the stadium. We determined to head there next for early check in, since the gates for the 8 p.m. match didn’t open until 5 p.m., and we were arriving in town hours prior to that.

Upon checking in, we immediately went to the lounge of our hotel to watch the second half of the United States match versus Australia. After a morning on the road, it felt good to relax with some appetizers and cold drinks.

After the final whistle blew on the USA 2–0 win, there was still time to burn, so we decided to relax in our respective rooms and then take an Uber over to the stadium around 4:15. Not knowing what the entry process might look like, we wanted to get there with plenty of time to navigate what we were certain would be a total scrum.

The next hour and a half was spent watching Scotland versus Morocco and trying not to stress out too much. What’s meant by that is that the FIFA app, where tickets are held in a wallet, doesn’t populate a ticket “barcode,” which is needed to gain entry, until an hour before the gate officially opens. The security aspect of this makes sense, but if there is any technical trouble the day of the match, it doesn’t leave much in the way of time or resources to react. Fortunately, our barcodes showed up right when they were supposed to.

Although there were public transportation options like the train available, we opted to take an Uber so we didn’t have to put too much mental gymnastics into figuring how to get to where we needed to go. At around $45 for a 14-mile drive, prices were already surging a bit but we were delivered to the stadium in plenty of time.

There were already thousands of people lined up for the gate opening at 5 p.m. With Turkiye and Paraguay both favoring red, there was a sea of that color throughout the parking lot. At first, it appeared that going through security to get your ticket scanned might be a nightmare but everything moved quickly, and staff and local police were friendly and helpful.

Entering the fan experience zone was frankly a disappointment. Expecting a mass of retail locations, fun one-off activities and other unique offerings, instead it was sterile and basic. There were several FIFA store locations with not as much variety of merchandise as anticipated. The fan experience kiosks we saw seemed rushed and really not very fun. A sample was a wall sponsored by Home Depot that had a shoe box sized box painted/decorated for each team in the Cup that fans could take pictures posing beside. One would hope that a global event projected to take in some $14 billion during its course could offer better experiences than photo ops with wooden boxes.

The concessions were also midling at best. I personally only had a linguisa sausage, peppers and onions, which was dry and served on a roll that was so old it may have literally come from the very first World Cup in 1930.

The food I saw other people eating looked fine but uninspired. It seemed like a missed opportunity to feature food items specific to the participating teams in the Cup, or have other signature (special) items. However, there appeared to be none of that. The most interesting aspect was that most beverages were served in bottles with twist top caps. Fans were not allowed to have those caps out of fear (confirmed to me by a concession employee) that they could be flicked on to the field. Such a precaution didn’t seem to make the match any safer but did certainly help bring drinks to tepid temps quicker on the brightly sunny evening.

Despite the lack of appealing concessions or an engaging fan experience, the three hours between kick-off went by surprisingly fast. It was a premium people-watching opportunity, and plenty of fans and staff were happy to chat. The highlight was definitely when a very large (perhaps 20,000+) contingent of Turkiye fans made their way via an impressive procession to the stadium. The literal sea of red advanced like a conquering army, buoyed by chants and music.

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Although our seats were high up, we quickly realized that there were few “bad” seats at the stadium. The ball was easy to pick up visually on the field, even from a ways away, and the match was well lit — first with abundant sunlight and then the stadium lights.

After an inspiring pre-game ceremony, including national anthems andthe unfurling of the two competing country’s flags, the match was on!

Although the crowd seemed to be overwhelmingly in favor of Turkiye (who in the most recent FIFA rankings, were placed 32nd, as opposed to Paraguay at 37th). There was a collective gasp from the crowd when Paraguay midfielder Miguel Almiron intercepted a Turkiye pass deep in their territory and buried it 65 seconds into the match, giving his side a 1–0 lead.

The goal wouldn’t be the last time we heard from Almiron. In first-half stoppage time, he was issued a red card for being perceived to address an opposing player while he covered his own mouth with his hand — presumably to hide what he was saying. Unfortunately for him, FIFA recently implemented a new rule forbidding such behavior to help cut down on potential racist and bigoted activity in matches. His expulsion made history, as he became the first player to ever be sent off under that provision.

The match was truly exciting from the first whistle. After Almiron’s goal, Turkiye really ramped up the pressure and looked like they were about to break through time and time again. However, Paraguay’s defense was incredible, parrying and adjusting all night. The pressure only ramped up once Paraguay went down a man. It was a highly physical match throughout, and literally had us on the edge of our seats on numerous occasions.

A non-play highlight was when the stadium went dark for a “candlelight” rendition of Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer that had most of the sellout crowd of 68,827 singing along. Sports fans can never resist being serenaded by emminently singable popular songs.

Turkiye, despite an absolute onslaught with their attack, simply couldn’t find the net. They held possession for just under 80% of the match, and all other stats favored them to an almost comical degree:

From a numbers standpoint, Turkiye (red) absolutely dominated Paraguay (dark blue). Image via Fotmob.

In the end, Paraguay somehow held on for the thrilling 1–0 victory, sending their fans home very happy. The contrast between the two fan bases were striking. During the match, Turkiye acolytes were pacing, yelling, exhorting. Meanwhile, the Paraguayan faithful were more subdued but no less into the action.

As the final seconds ticked down, I definitely experienced a tinge of sorrow that this experience was coming to an end. I have no idea if I’ll ever make it back to another World Cup match but I couldn’t have asked for a better time. Already a huge soccer fan, this match only further fueled my love for the game, especially in the ways it brings all corners of the globe together in a common interest defined by a grand tournament being played in front of the entire world.

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