June 30 – Major cuts to Philadelphia’s transit system have prompted concerns over the city’s readiness to host matches during the 2026 World Cup.
The new fiscal budget for the city’s Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) will see services slashed by 45% and fares raised to deal with a $213 million deficit. In practice, 50 bus routes and 66 rail stations as well as five regional rail lines will disappear. Septa officials have said they will keep pressing the state for help and funding. Pennsylvania turned Republican red in the last presidential elections, but Philadelphia leans heavily Democrat blue.
“This budget will effectively dismantle SEPTA,” said SEPTA general manager Scott Sauer, as reported by Bloomberg. “Once this dismantlement begins, it will be almost impossible to reverse and the economic and social impacts will be immediate and long-lasting for all Pennsylvanians, whether they ride SEPTA or not.”
The downsizing has led to questions about how Philadelphia will deal with the influx of football fans during the 2026 World Cup, the first global finals to be played in a 48-team format and widely expected to be the biggest sporting event ever. In 2026 it will host six matches.
The city of brotherly love has been one of the host cities during the 2025 Club World Cup and staged three group matches and one round-of-16 match, with a quarter-final between Palmeiras and Chelsea to come on July 5.
Sauer acknowledged the scale of the problem, admitting that SEPTA won’t be in a position to handle the invasion of fans next year if the cuts and phasing out are maintained.
Insideworldfootball has asked Philadephia’s local organising committee for comment.
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