Philadelphia began the final stretch before the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a large pep rally Tuesday in Center City, drawing hundreds of fans to the concourse and lobby of the Comcast Technology Center. The event counted down 100 days until the tournament begins on June 11 in Mexico and introduced a series of fan initiatives ahead of the city’s six scheduled matches.
The rally was organized by Philadelphia Soccer 2026, the host committee responsible for coordinating the city’s role in the global tournament. Philadelphia is one of 16 host cities across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, and FIFA estimates 6.5 million fans will travel globally for the competition.
Philadelphia will host six matches at Lincoln Financial Field, which will operate under the name “Philadelphia Stadium” during the tournament.
Brandon Graham Leads Pep Rally and Soccer Chants
The rally began with Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham, who hosted the event and energized the crowd with the city’s familiar “E-A-G-L-E-S” chant.
100 days!⚽️🏆
Today I’m down at the Comcast Technology Center as the city celebrates 100 days until the FIFA World Cup comes to Philadelphia
Today’s event is called the “How Do You Phan?” Pep Rally, hosted by Philadelphia Eagle and Super Bowl champ Brandon Graham pic.twitter.com/5IpjNTBhQV
— Jimmy King (@Jimmyking35) March 3, 2026
After the chant, Graham taught the crowd several soccer cheers that fans will likely hear inside the stadium during the tournament.
When Graham called “Allez,” the crowd answered “Les Bleus,” a chant used by supporters of France’s national team. He also led the chant “olé, olé, olé, olé,” followed by the response “Brazil, Brazil.”
Both France and Brazil are World Cup champions and will play in Philadelphia during the tournament’s group stage.
Graham addressed the crowd during the celebration.
“We got 100 days till the World Cup come to our city,” he said. “I hope y’all ready.”
He also told attendees:
“We got 100 days until the World Cup comes. I just want to get everybody excited. Can’t wait to see how Philly represents, because we are going to represent in a big way.”
“How Do You Phan?” Campaign Launch
During the rally, Philadelphia Soccer 2026 launched a fan campaign called “How Do You Phan?”. The initiative introduces residents and visitors to the teams competing in Philadelphia and encourages fans to follow the tournament and learn about the countries participating.
Meg Kane, host city executive and CEO of Philadelphia Soccer 2026, explained the purpose of the campaign.
“‘How Do You Phan?’ is the opportunity for diehard soccer fans, but also the soccer-curious to be able to learn about the teams that are coming, find that rooting interest, and feel part of the cross-cultural exchange that’s really once in a lifetime,” Kane said.
Philadelphia Soccer 2026 also debuted a “How Do You Phan?” hype video during the rally.
Kane described the city’s sports culture during her remarks to attendees.
“When I say there is no better sports city in the United States, and maybe the world, I don’t just believe it, I live it every day, and so do you,” she said. “And that’s what we need the world to feel this summer.”
Performances, Mascots and Fan Activities
The rally included live music and performances, including an appearance by the Universal African Dance and Drum Ensemble, which performed during the event.
Philadelphia’s professional sports mascots also attended:
- Swoop, mascot of the Philadelphia Eagles
- Gritty, mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers
- Phang, mascot of the Philadelphia Union
Fans received flags representing several competing nations and wrote messages about their favorite Philadelphia sports traditions on a chalk wall set up at the rally.
Several attendees described their reactions to the upcoming tournament.
Patrick Malloy from Doylestown said, “This environment is electric. I didn’t know there were so many soccer fans in Philadelphia.”
Jose Palomeque from Glenside spoke about the economic and community effects.
“Restaurants, hospitality, everybody will be benefiting from this,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it’s also the community impact.”
Nasir Smith from North Philadelphia described his excitement about the tournament.
“I’m very excited, I can’t wait to see the World Cup. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, and it’s in our city, the best thing ever.”
James Hao of Pennsauken attended the rally to learn more about the event.
“I come out here to see what the FIFA world soccer is about. They are going to be in Philadelphia this summer, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Teams Scheduled to Play in Philadelphia
Philadelphia will host matches featuring international teams, including:
- Brazil
- France
- Croatia
- Ghana
- Ecuador
- Haiti
- Curaçao
In preparation for the tournament, Ivory Coast selected Subaru Park in Chester as its training base, bringing additional international activity to the region.
Full World Cup Match Schedule in Philadelphia
The city’s first match takes place on June 14, the fourth day of the tournament.
The full schedule at Philadelphia Stadium is:
- June 14 — Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador (7 p.m. ET)
- June 19 — Brazil vs. Haiti (9 p.m. ET)
- June 22 — France vs. Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname (5 p.m. ET)
- June 25 — Curaçao vs. Ivory Coast (4 p.m. ET)
- June 27 — Croatia vs. Ghana (5 p.m. ET)
- July 4 — Round of 16: Winner Game 74 vs Winner Game 77 (5 p.m. ET)
The first five matches are part of the Group Stage, which runs from June 11 through June 27.
During this phase, each team plays the other three teams in its group in a round-robin format. Teams earn points based on match results. When the group stage concludes, the top two teams in each group and the top eight third-place teams from across all 12 groups advance to the knockout rounds.
The knockout stage uses a single-elimination format that continues until one team remains.
Philadelphia’s Round of 16 match on July 4 will take place during Independence Day celebrations.
Remaining Playoff Tournaments for Final Spots
Several teams will compete in playoff tournaments for the remaining places in the 48-team field.
FIFA Playoff 1 – Guadalajara
- March 26: New Caledonia vs. Jamaica (11 p.m. ET)
- March 31: Winner of New Caledonia/Jamaica vs. Democratic Republic of the Congo (5 p.m. ET)
The winner joins Group K, which includes Portugal, Uzbekistan, and Colombia.
FIFA Playoff 2 – Monterrey
- March 26: Bolivia vs. Suriname (6 p.m. ET)
- March 31: Winner of Bolivia/Suriname vs. Iraq (11 p.m. ET)
The winner joins Group I, which includes France, Senegal, and Norway.
UEFA Playoff A
- March 26: Italy vs. Northern Ireland
- March 26: Wales vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina
- March 31: Winner ITA/NIR vs. Winner WAL/BIH
The winner enters Group B with Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland.
UEFA Playoff B
- March 26: Ukraine vs. Sweden
- March 26: Poland vs. Albania
- March 31: Winner UKR/SWE vs. Winner POL/ALB
The winner joins Group F with Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia.
UEFA Playoff C
- March 26: Turkey vs. Romania
- March 26: Slovakia vs. Kosovo
- March 31: Winner TUR/ROU vs. Winner SVK/KOS
The winner enters Group D with United States, Paraguay and Australia.
UEFA Playoff D
- March 26: Denmark vs. North Macedonia
- March 26: Czechia vs. Ireland
- March 31: Winner DEN/MKD vs. Winner CZE/IRL
The winner enters Group A with Mexico, South Africa and South Korea.
World Cup Events During America’s 250th Anniversary
Philadelphia’s tournament schedule coincides with celebrations tied to the United States’ 250th anniversary.
The 250th Historic District Committee is conducting a program called “52 Weeks of Firsts”, which focuses on historical milestones that occurred in Philadelphia, including the nation’s first — and still running — flower show.
Independence Day week includes a citywide event called the “Red, White, and Blue To Do” scheduled for July 2.
Amy Needle, president and CEO of Historic Philadelphia, described the event.
“Where there is a kids parade, there’s a block party, there’s musical performances throughout the day at different historical institutions,” Needle said.
The celebration concludes with the Wawa Welcome America concert and a drone show.
Philadelphia’s final World Cup match, the Round of 16 game on July 4, takes place during those Independence Day celebrations.
Michelle Singer, co-chair of the group organizing Philadelphia’s World Cup plans, described how the city plans to greet visitors.
“We’re going to show visiting soccer fans our unmistakable passion, our grit, our energy and we’re going to make them feel home in Philadelphia.”
