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City of Boston Recognized as One of the Most Welcoming FIFA World Cup 26 Host Cities

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Mayor Michelle Wu today announced that the City of Boston has received the National Sports Diplomacy Award from the Public Diplomacy Council of America (PDCA), recognizing Boston as one of the most welcoming U.S. host cities during the FIFA World Cup 2026. The one time award highlights the City's efforts to make international guests feel welcomed while offering an authentic view of Boston neighborhoods, diversity, civic culture and community spirit.

"We were thrilled to show the world what Bostonians do every day: come together as a beautiful, welcoming, family-friendly home for everyone. This recognition celebrates the warm and welcoming spirit of Boston's people, from our neighborhood leaders and small business owners, to every City worker who helped ensure visitors from around the world had an experience of a lifetime," said Mayor Michelle Wu. "I am grateful to our residents, businesses, and City teams for showcasing our city and working every day for Boston to have the highest quality of life, a culture of innovation, and an uncommon dedication to the common good."

The award, which was also presented to Atlanta, follows a nomination submitted by WorldBoston, the region's diplomacy council, in partnership with the City of Boston's Office of Global Affairs and Protocol. This award affirms the City's ongoing work to make Boston a home for everyone.

"WorldBoston was proud to nominate the City of Boston for this national recognition with the Public Diplomacy Council of America because we saw the principles we work to advance every day come alive across our entire city," said Joe Haynes, CEO of WorldBoston, New England's premier diplomacy council, founded in 1949. "From the Mayor's Office and our state and regional partners to community organizations, businesses, sports franchises and individual Bostonians, the welcome extended to visitors from around the world was extraordinary. Citizen diplomacy, subnational diplomacy and sports diplomacy all came together in a way that showed why Boston is truly a global hub for bringing people together through sport. Just as importantly, this feels like a galvanizing moment — one that has left the city, our institutions and our communities eager to build on that success and deepen Boston's role as a welcoming, globally connected city."

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This summer, the City partnered with The Boston Host Committee (Boston 26) to bring the excitement, energy, and spirit of the World Cup directly into communities and welcome visitors from around the world. To ensure residents and visitors were connected to the excitement of the tournament, the City hosted 18 free, family-friendly watch party events drawing tens of thousands to different parks, and open spaces across the City. On June 19th, the three community watch parties in Boston Common drew approximately 6,800 fans.

"Boston showed its best to the world this summer. Our City, State, business leaders and Boston 26 team worked hard at planning and building those international links, and the people of Boston made them real, one visitor at a time," said Mike Loynd, President and CEO of FIFA World Cup Boston 2026.

In addition, the City organized seven fan marches for supporters to gather before games and welcomed fans to  two downtown social districts. A city report showcases approximately 313,000 World Cup-related event visits in June, including FanFest, community watch parties, and South Station stadium-train riders. Significant resident and visitor activity boosted the Downtown economy with record numbers, with restaurant spending increasing approximately 2% citywide and 15% in Greater Downtown, and bar spending increasing approximately 27% citywide and 86% in Greater Downtown during the June 2026 World Cup period.

"Different languages, different jerseys, plenty of strong opinions and strong accents is something Boston understands pretty well," said Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune. "I'm proud that from Cabo Verde to Haiti to the Scottish Highlands and everywhere in between, Boston threw out our welcome mat for fans across the globe into our neighborhoods, restaurants, and City. This award reflects a city that knows how to be proud, welcoming, and spirited of who we are and always happy to make room for one more."

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In addition to the community watch parties and fan walks, the City encouraged residents to celebrate this past summer in ways that reflected the unique character of their own neighborhoods and communities. Last spring, the City launched both the Summer Block Party Grant Program and the Office of Cultural Affairs Mini Grant Program to support community-led celebrations, cultural events, and neighborhood gatherings connected to the summer's major events. This effort totalled out to $400,000 in private sector funding and grants being distributed to community organizations and small businesses across our neighborhoods as part of the 250th celebrations and activating the neighborhoods to celebrate this historic summer.

Beyond World Cup celebrations, the friendship developed between Boston and Scotland's Tartan Army led the City to establish a sister-city partnership with Glasgow, Scotland. In June, Mayor Michelle Wu announced plans to formalize an international partnership with the City of Glasgow, to strengthen economic, cultural and institutional ties. Through a Letter of Intent, the two cities expressed a shared commitment to inclusive growth and global engagement, laying the foundation for a meaningful and mutually beneficial partnership. Boston continues to explore opportunities for collaboration across key areas, including economic development, education and workforce training, research and innovation, arts and culture, tourism, sustainability, public health, and major international events.

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