We took the Amtrak train from New York to Philadelphia to watch the Curaçao v. Côte d’Ivoire match on Thursday, June 25, 2026. This post details our experience in Philadelphia, from getting to Lincoln Financial Field (i.e. Philadelphia stadium also known as “the Linc”), to food and drink, and finally, the match! Read if you are heading to a match in Philadelphia or just curious about the World Cup!

All in, we found Philadelphia a bit easier and much less expensive than attending a match at MetLife/NY NJ stadium (you can read about our experience at NY NJ here). But, that being said, we had great weather in Philadelphia (and not so great weather at MetLife) so that may have swayed our opinion.

HOW WE GOT PHILADELPHIA WORLD CUP TICKETS

For this game, I purchased face value tickets directly from FIFA during the Capital One Pre-Sale in February 2026. We attempted to buy NY NJ match tickets at the time, but they were sold out, so we decided to buy Philadelphia tickets and later sell them if it didn’t seem worth it to travel to Philadelphia. Ha, what HIGH hopes I had of getting reasonably priced NY/NJ tickets early on!

As I mentioned in my previous post, if you are still looking for World Cup tickets, you can go through the FIFA app’s Resale/Exchange Marketplace to buy on the secondary market (all of which transactions on this app are backed by FIFA). Per the app, all other tickets are sold out. We sat in the 100 level of Philadelphia stadium, and our seats were absolutely incredible!

TICKETS TO THE WORLD CUP

Official tickets are only available through the FIFA 2026 Mobile Ticket App, which is free and which tickets you can add to a digital wallet (like Apple Wallet). The QR code for the tickets goes live 4 hours before kickoff. It says “the ticket is not yet ready” prior to that time. We only needed to scan our tickets once to get inside Philadelphia stadium.

GETTING TO PHILADELPHIA STADIUM, AKA LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD

Unlike MetLife stadium in New Jersey, Philadelphia stadium/Lincoln Financial Field is located close to the center of Philadelphia and is easily connected to Philadelphia via public transportation. We stayed in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia (a great area to stay in Philadelphia) and took the Philadelphia subway, or “SEPTA Metro”, from Rittenhouse Square to the stadium, which is the “NRG” stop on the Southbound Orange “B1” line. It was 8 stops, took about 15 minutes, and cost only $2.90 USD. You do not need to purchase tickets in advance; simply swipe a credit card when entering the metro. There were also FIFA volunteers in the SEPTA station ensuring you are going the correct way.

Once we arrived at the NRG SEPTA stop, it is a flat, straight walk to Philadelphia stadium, which took about 10 minutes. There are signs and volunteers everywhere. You can also see the stadium once you exit the SEPTA Metro. You really can’t get lost.

An alternative to the SEPTA metro is driving and parking at the stadium. Parking passes are, as I understand it, $125 per car and parking is located literally right outside of the stadium.  You need a match day ticket to buy a parking pass. Our friends drove and said it was pretty easy.

Ride Share, such as Uber and Lyft, is yet another option, but we have no information on this.

GETTING INSIDE PHILADELPHIA STADIUM

Gates open 3 hours before kickoff, or at 1:00 PM for us (for a 4:00 PM game), and we arrived at 12:45 PM. While this may have been an overkill, I wanted to experience the stadium and buy souvenirs before they sold out.

As we arrived before the gates opened, we waited 15 minutes before the gates opened. As soon as the clock struck 1:00 PM, entry was available and the crowds moved at a decent pace. We were probably inside the stadium by 1:15 PM.

Like in NY NJ stadium, we first went through a metal detector and my bag was searched, we then scanned our match tickets, and then, we were inside the stadium! Very easy. I would note here that Philadelphia permitted us to bring in 2 sealed water bottles (NY NJ made us throw away our empty ones).

BAG POLICY AT PHILADELPHIA STADIUM/LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD

Philadelphia stadium has a strict bag policy during the World Cup (and otherwise). Bags must be clear (like plastic) or no larger than 6.5 inches x 4.5 inches. Philadelphia seemed a bit more strict than NY NJ. This time, I used a clear bag that I purchased at the FIFA store specifically for this game.

Of note, I did not see any sort of bag exchange at Philadelphia stadium (like at NJ NY), but that does not mean there is not one, I just neither saw it nor looked for it. Like NY NJ, Philadelphia offered the $8 USD portable chargers in the stadium.

PRE-MATCH FIFA FAN ZONE & INSIDE THE LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD

Once you clear security and officially enter Philadelphia stadium, the area between the entrance and the actual, physical stadium is a FIFA Fan Zone. It was similar to the one in NY NJ stadium, except smaller with seemingly less to do. We did see the Philadelphia Eagles Drum Line perform, and we also watched some Curaçao fans dance with a live DJ. While smaller, Philadelphia allows tailgating in its parking lot, which is totally disallowed at NY NJ, so I think a lot of people probably did that before coming inside.

Our first order of business was to buy a beer in a match specific cup. We then promptly lined up to buy a match-specific scarf.

We entered the stadium shortly after the merch line to explore it before the crowds. You can also move freely between the stadium and the Fan Zone, so there was no harm in going in (and it was covered – meaning no sun before the match). The stadium never felt too, too packed, despite it being a full house, and even right before the match began, food and drink lines were not terrible.

We moseyed around a bit, took pictures, had some more drinks, and eventually lunch. We took our seats about an hour before the match was set to begin to watch the warmups.

THE MATCH: CURAÇAO V. CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Warmups for the match began around 3:00 PM, an hourish before kickoff. During this time, announcers announced the players and provided information about the teams.  Around 3:50 PM, the FIFA flag and the Curaçao and Côte d’Ivoire flags were brought out, and each country’s national anthem was played. Kickoff was shortly thereafter. Once again, the flag ceremony is very fun.

After kickoff, we watched the game until FIFA’s 3 minute “hydration break” 22 minutes into each half. This broke up the match a bit, but didn’t provide enough time to run out and “hydrate” or use the facilities. Unlike NY NJ however, beer and drink vendors walk through the stands selling beer and water during the match, like they do in baseball games. This was pretty cool. You can refresh your beverage without getting up.

Intermission is 15 minutes long, at the 45 minute mark. Most everyone left the stands at this point and the restroom lines were LONG, as were food and beer lines (though not as bad as NY NJ). If you need to get up, I suggest going immediately at the 45 minute mark or even a minute in advance. You won’t regret this suggestion.

We watched the full match and stayed until the very end (Côte d’Ivoire won 2-0). Getting out of the stadium was not difficult. Unlike NY NJ, we didn’t immediately leave, but stayed to hang out with our friends for a drink at an adjacent restaurant/bar. Keep reading for information on that!

WORLD CUP MERCH AT PHILADELPHIA STADIUM

Surprising to me, like NY NJ, Philadelphia Stadium merch stands were not at all fancy and consisted of tables selling World Cup 2026 merch, FIFA merch, and Philadelphia FIFA merch. There were a few shirts and jerseys specific to Curaçao and Côte d’Ivoire, as well as the match scarf, but not much more. This was disappointing and seems like a missed opportunity.

I would also note that match and team specific items also sell out QUICKLY. Get in the merch line immediately if you want something. We tried to get a Côte d’Ivoire t-shirt around 2:00, and the only size left was a men’s XL…

Purchases are via credit card only and (cute) bags are offered for free to carry your purchases. You also receive a 10% discount if you pay with Visa. The discount is applied directly to your bill at the time of sale.

FOOD & DRINK AT PHILADELPHIA STADIUM

Philadelphia stadium and the adjacent Fan Zone offer many, many food and drink options. It was never difficult to find food or a beverage (alcohol or otherwise). For drinks, note that if you plan to drink alcohol, the drinking age is 21.  You need a valid US ID or, if you do not have a valid US ID, your physical foreign passport to prove your age. It is common to ID, or “card” everyone, even those who look well over 21. That being said, we did not get carded at the match.

For adult beverages, a few canned beers and canned seltzer are the most common options. There were a few “hard liquor” selling points and Casamigos (the Tequila brand) is a sponsor, so that is pretty easily available. Non-alcoholic beverages are very easy to find, including soda, bottled water, and non-alcoholic beer. Costs were generally $6 for water, $12 for soft drinks (including with the souvenir cup) and between $19 and $22 for beer or seltzer. This was slightly more than NY NJ.

If you are a beer drinker, it is fun to get a Michelob Ultra in one of the branded cups that feature the flags of the day’s match. We only saw these in the Fan Zone, and these run out later in the game, so get one early. Game-specific Coca-Cola cups are also available inside the stadium. These apparently sell out, but they were available through kick off on Thursday.

In terms of food, there is food available in the Fan Zone and in the stadium, with more options offered in the stadium. The offerings that I saw were pretty largely American stadium fare, such as hotdogs and chicken fingers. We purchased $10.00 hotdogs, and they were absolutely delicious.

If you are looking for something local to Philadelphia, try Chickie’s and Pete’s. This is a local sports bar that is famous for its chicken and Crab Fries, or “Spiced Fries” during FIFA. These are french fries covered in Old Bay seasoning (there is no actual crab meat on them). These fries are really delicious and addictive, lol. There is also Rita’s Italian Ice, which is an ice dessert iconic to Philadelphia. Both Chickie’s and Pete’s and Rita’s have multiple locations around Philadelphia stadium.

In addition to the hotdog, I also paid $12 for a “walking taco”, which is essentially taco toppings in a Doritos or Tostitos bag. These seemed to be all the rage in both NY NJ and Philadelphia and quite frankly, the walking taco was pretty tasty. Uniquely American if you are visiting from abroad. I would also note that there are some “combo meals” available for purchase, which give a slight discount for buying multiple food items.

POST MATCH AT PHILADELPHIA STADIUM

We stayed until the very end of the match, and left as soon as it ended. We walked out very easily. We planned to walk straight to the SEPTA Metro, but we made a detour to hang out with our friends who we hardly ever get to see.

Unlike NY NJ, Philadelphia stadium is surrounded by a few bars/restaurants that fans can visit post-game. Our friends, who are from the area, suggested that we stop for a post-match drink at Stateside Live!. It is literally next to the stadium. We walked in without a wait and grabbed drinks on the second level, which is open air. This ended up being a really fun way to end the game. We stayed for 2 drinks and by the time we left to walk to the SEPTA Metro, the crowds were totally cleared out.

I would note that you can also visit these bars/restaurants before the game, but you may need a reservation. A number of them also offer reasonably priced hospitality packages that include pre-purchased food and drink. Worth exploring if you are in the area.