World Cup: A road trip wrapped in a riddle
Possible team to see in World Cup matches within driving distance
World Cup math is already making our heads hurt.
Trying to figure out where to travel for a World Cup match is less like planning a vacation and more like solving a Rubik’s Cube while surrounded by screaming children.
Why it matters: The 2026 World Cup is coming close enough for Baton Rouge fans to drive to matches in Atlanta, Houston or Dallas. The trick is knowing who might actually play there.
The problem: Teams play three group-stage matches. Then the knockout bracket depends not only on how they do, but how everyone else does.
The New York Times tried to make it easier. Using world rankings and prediction markets, the paper estimated the odds (🔒) of which teams could land in each knockout-round city. But, be aware, the publication warns that one goal before the final whistle can send a team 3,000 miles in the opposite direction.
Here’s the RedEye driving-distance version:
Atlanta: England has a 70% chance of playing there in the Round of 32 on July 1. Likely opponents: Congo, 23%; Croatia, 20%; or Uzbekistan, 17%.
Yes, but: This could be a brutal ticket. English fans travel well, and London has direct flights to Atlanta.
Houston: Five hours by car, give or take traffic on I-10. Brazil is the big prize here, with 75% chance for a Round of 32 match on June 29. Possible opponents: Japan, 33%; Netherlands, 27%; or Sweden, 26%.
Yes! Brazil is Brazil. Even people who don’t watch soccer understand the appeal of watching Brazil play the beautiful game.
Dallas: The odds are more scattered, but the possible teams include Norway, 43%; Ecuador, 40%; Ivory Coast, 32%; and Senegal, 25%. The round of 32 match is June 30. This should be the easiest ticket, as there are no big names that casual American fans would recognize.
The U.S. question: The U.S. team is projected as more likely to play in San Francisco, at 41%, than Dallas, at 29%.
The bottom line: If you want certainty, wait. If you want Brazil, start looking at Houston. If you want England, prepare for sticker shock and a pub full of people explaining why this is finally their year. If you just want to watch a match without the crush of fans, Dallas is your best bet.
