One of the biggest sporting events in the world -- the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament -- begins this week in 16 cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Expect increased traffic around the host cities.
The tournament kicks off Thursday, June 11, and matches are being held around North America almost daily through July 19 when the World Cup Final takes place in the New York City metro area.
Trucking telematics firm Geotab last month conducted an analysis of billions of data points to understand how ready each of the 16 host cities might be for wider transport pressure the tournament will bring. Using vehicle data from June and July 2025, including periods covering major sporting and public events, the firm examined how traffic on road networks performed when sudden surges in activity put pressure on movement of people, deliveries and day-to-day traffic.
The evaluation measured everyday congestion, engine idling times, driver safety and city "resilience" -- how well local infrastructure bounced back during past major concerts and sporting events.
View the full stadium rankings on Geotab's website.Geotab
Ten of the 16 host cities' stadiums scored below 7 out of 10 on Geotab's preparedness scale (10 being well-prepared). Foxborough, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb, was the sole city whose stadium hit above an 8, earning an 8.01.
Conversely, Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto all landed at the bottom of the rankings, scoring under 5 out of 10. Both Los Angeles and Atlanta struggled severely with resilience, scoring below 1 out of 10 after failing to absorb large crowds without major traffic disruptions in the summer of 2025.
Geotab’s rankings weighed traffic conditions immediately around the tournament stadiums at 60%, while the remaining 40% factored in the wider metropolitan area. The company plans to track and publish traffic updates throughout the duration of the tournament.
Geotab’s Mike Branch, vice president of data and analytics, called the World Cup events the "ultimate pressure test" for city congestion handling. He recommended drivers take a look at cities’ “resilience” scores in the rankings “because that will give you a sense of how well the city is able to cope with that influx of demand. ... Those that have a higher resilience score that are already well congested, you're just going to see the norm, what you see every day.”
On the flip side, cities with a high congestion score but a low resilience score, “that's where you certainly want to make sure you give yourself some extra time ..., make sure that you look at routing and optimization solutions to help you plan for the day, and certainly there's added stress. But I think that resilience score is really the one I'd keep an eye out for on this list.”
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What two host locales are saying about congestion mitigation
As the World Cup’s kickoff approaches, host states and cities are beginning to provide information about traffic and routing during the event.
MISSOURI. With Kansas City prepping to host, the Missouri Department of Transportation advised drivers to plan ahead sharply increased traffic across the state.
MoDOT noted nearly all state roadwork in the Kansas City region will take place off the roadway during the tournament, maximizing available capacity on major routes.
To help improve highway capacity during the games, MoDOT is also encouraging freight operators to plan alternate routes around Kansas City during heavy travel periods. Traffic may be elevated throughout Missouri as visitors move between cities and event sites, and adjusting travel patterns can help reduce delays.
NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY. New York City has also issued “Gridlock Alert Days” for match days at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. On those days, the city is implementing truck delivery restrictions for Midtown, requesting that local businesses shift their delivery windows on match days to help reduce congestion.
NYC is engaging with the trucking industry, as well as local businesses and residents to share this information.
Following best practices from similar large events in other cities, Midtown deliveries will be restricted from six hours before each match begins until three hours after each match concludes. The truck restrictions will be in place only on match days between 30th and 60th Streets, from the East River to the Hudson River.
The Trucking Association of New York (TANY) launched a resource hub for truck drivers to help in navigating around the event. The site consolidates traffic updates, operational information, and delivery alternatives in one place.
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