GREENFIELD — The 2026 Men’s World Cup is coming to Greenfield.
The city will be hosting a livestream of the Friday, June 19, match between the United States and Australia at the Garden Cinemas at 3 p.m. Tickets are free, as the event is being supported by a $10,000 Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism grant.
The office is funding dozens of World Cup-themed festivals and watch parties across the state, including what Greenfield’s Director of Community and Economic Development Amy Cahillane described as the city’s “low-key” event.
“This is a very small-scale event,” Cahillane said. “We’re partnering with the Garden Cinemas to show one of the matches on June 19.”
Space is limited to the first 200 attendees. Cahillane said the city was prioritizing seats for youth soccer teams, but any remaining seats would be open to the public. People can register and reserve a seat by visiting bit.ly/GardenWatchParty.
Garden Cinemas owner Isaac Mass said he’s excited to host the watch party at the theater, and he particularly welcomes the youth soccer teams. Mass is a big supporter of the Recreation Department’s Youth Soccer League and said he hopes watching the World Cup will help kids get excited about soccer.
“We’re excited for all things World Cup at the Garden and hosting the best soccer in the world,” Mass said. “We love it — I spent five years coaching youth soccer at the Rec Department. How I know it’s fall is when I see people playing soccer over at the Green River [Swimming & Recreation Area]. It feels like home.”
Mass said people shouldn’t be afraid to ask for last-minute tickets and to call the Recreation Department for availability.
The June 19 match will be streamed from Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, giving viewers a chance to see how Team Australia, currently ranked 27th internationally, holds up against Team USA, ranked 17th.
According to ESPN, the two teams went head-to-head in October of last year as part of the World Cup preparations during an International Friendly match that resulted in a 2-1 victory for Team USA.
“The U.S. Australia game is gonna be a good one,” Mass said. “The Australian team is young, but Team U.S. is confident.”
The United States and Australia are scheduled to face each other in a Group D match, one of the groups of teams taking part in the tournament, along with Paraguay and Türkiye. Paraguay faced off against the U.S. on Friday, and Türkiye will take on the Americans on June 25, before the Cup shifts from the group stage to the knockout rounds.
Mass said there will be small American flags passed out to Team USA fans at the watch party. Cahillane said there will be prizes and swag for attendees.
In other recent International Friendly matches, the U.S. lost to Germany and Portugal and defeated Senegal and Germany. In its International Friendlies, Australia lost to Mexico, defeated Curaçao and Cameroon, and tied with Switzerland.
In a written statement, state officials said that while millions are expected to travel to the U.S. for the World Cup, they hope that the community events will bring the games to communities across the state and give residents an opportunity to engage with local nonprofits and businesses while supporting their team.
“These community celebrations will become an important part of the visitor experience during this global moment,” Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism Kate Fox said. “Through these grants, celebrations are being made possible in communities across the commonwealth, giving visitors and residents alike new opportunities to gather, explore and connect with local destinations. We hope these experiences encourage people to spend a little extra time discovering the people, places and stories that make Massachusetts special, and enjoy a little ‘extra time’ in Massachusetts.”
“The World Cup will bring people from across the globe to Massachusetts, and we want every resident across our state to be part of that moment,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “These events will create opportunities for residents and visitors to come together, celebrate the world’s game, support our local businesses, and experience the energy and connection that sports can inspire. By investing in community celebrations across Massachusetts, we’re making sure this global event delivers for people in every region.”
