The Bay Area's first World Cup match kicks off in a month

The Bay Area's first World Cup match kicks off in a month

The FIFA World Cup kicks off June 11 across the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

The big picture: The Bay Area's first matchup begins in exactly one month, with Group B action between Qatar and Switzerland set for Saturday, June 13. The area's final game will be played July 1.

State of play: More Americans are tuning into soccer ahead of the sport's most prestigious event, with hopes of sparking the kind of breakthrough interest the 1994 World Cup did when it was last played in the U.S.

Zoom in: Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, where this year's Super Bowl was held, will host six matches, and be dubbed the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium during the event.

  • It'll host five group stage matchups and one knockout game.
  • The venue, with a capacity of nearly 70,000, is receiving $8.8 million in federal funds for public transit planning, operations, staffing, security personnel and infrastructure improvements for the tournament.

    • Stunning stat: The tournament is expected to draw more than half a million visitors and generate between $480 and $630 million in economic revenue for the region.

    Here's what else you need to know:

    Transportation

    To get to the stadium, public transportation and rideshares like Uber, Lyft and Waymos are encouraged because parking is limited.

  • Take Caltrain to the Mountain View station stop, from which you'll hop on the VTA orange line. You can also take Caltrain to the Santa Clara station, then take a VTA bus or shuttle.
  • VTA's green line and orange line both stop at the Great America Station.
  • Take BART to Milpitas station and then transfer to the VTA orange line.
  • Find rideshare pickup and drop-off zones near the stadium here.
  • Amtrak's service — Capitol Corridor — connects passengers from Sacramento, the East Bay and San Francisco directly to the stadium.
  • More tips on how to get to Santa Clara from other Bay Area cities can be found here.
  • Check back here closer to the date for local road closures.

    • Accommodations

    The hospitality industry hopes the World Cup can make up for last year's decline in foreign tourism, but travel restrictions and steep prices may keep visitors away.

    Hotel bookings in the Bay Area and nationally are tracking below initial forecasts.

  • Many hotels, though, had already projected more modest demand from the start because the tournament is split across multiple countries and the Bay Area's matches lack top-seeded teams with massive fan bases, Alex Bastian, president and CEO of the Hotel Council of SF, told Axios.
  • "We had more tempered expectations and we adopted more conservative budgeting and forecasting strategies ... But many of the hotels I've spoken to are actually going to hit their budget in June," he said.

    • Short-term bookings have surged across parts of the Bay Area, with local Airbnb hosts expecting at least 12,000 visitors, per company estimates shared first with Axios.

  • North Oakland, San Francisco's Outer Sunset and central San Jose have recorded the largest year-over-year growth in bookings, with North Oakland already up 147% from June 11–July 19 compared with the same time last year, company spokesperson Jackie McGraw said.

    • Friction point: The Trump administration requires visitors from World Cup nations like Senegal, Tunisia and Côte d'Ivoire to deposit $5,000–$15,000 per person to obtain a tourist visa.

  • Visitors from 19 other countries, including Haiti and Iran, are banned from the U.S. under expanded travel restrictions.
  • High prices for airfare and gas also make the U.S. a more expensive destination compared with past World Cups.

    • The other side: The U.S. Travel Association, which surveyed international soccer fans, said last month that many concerns are due to "misperceptions" over safety and proposed changes to the tourist visa process.

    Fan events

    Levi's Stadium Plaza will host pre-match fan activities. Thirty-plus Bay Area venues are hosting fan experiences or watch parties.

  • In San Francisco, The Embarcadero at Pier 39, Thrive City in Mission Bay and China Basin Park at Mission Rock will host events.

    • How it works: Expect live performances, interactive games and global-themed food and drinks.

  • Use FIFA's official app to find additional details on transportation, dining and local attractions.

    • Security

    For stadium entry, expect security screenings, a clear bag policy and restrictions on bag size and prohibited items.