With the 2026 World Cup just over seven weeks away, these are the subjective three best cities in America for sports fans, and for those out for Footballs biggest tournament to go visit
It’s always a wonder how you could classify what makes a great sporting city. Whether it’s the storied successes, the undeniable city pride or the fanbases of particular teams with unmatched passion and even aggression, many cities across the world create a case for themselves being the greatest sports cities in America.
So, here are three of the greatest sports cities in the US.
BOSTON
We start with a diehard city and a set of fans that will always root for their teams through the highs and lows in the backdrop of one of the nation’s oldest cities, Boston.
It’s known as ‘the Athens of America’, and its had its had its fair share of gladiator-like athletes representing the city over the years. Tom Brady, Larry Bird, David Ortiz and Bobby Orr just to name a few that have led Boston to championship success and the 2nd most successful in America based on championships.
Not only its success has Boston on this list. Its rivalry with New York is unmatched in the US, and arguably the World. In particular, the rivalry between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees is renowned as one of the most intense not only in the US, but around the world.
But it hasn’t all been plain sailing all the time. The Boston Red Sox managed to trade away Babe Ruth in 1919 and began the ‘Curse of the Bambino’ and a title drought that would last 86 years before they finally ended the curse in 2004.
Same goes for the New England Patriots, who started as the Boston Patriots struggled for years, until Bill Belichick and Tom Brady found the secret to success winning six Super Bowls. Although located outside of Boston, the team is heavily affiliated with the city.
And this is without yet mentioning the always successful Boston Celtics, who hold the record for most NBA Championships (18) and most wins (3,751). They play at the iconic TD Garden located in the north of Downtown, sharing the venue with NHL outfit the Boston Bruins.
Boston also plays host at this year’s World Cup, hosting seven matches including England’s second World Cup group game against Ghana. Be sure to see the sights, and maybe catch a game at Fenway during your visit.
NEW YORK
The Big Apple, the city that never sleeps, and the home of some of the most passionate fans and people in the world.
Step one foot as a rival fan into one of the five boroughs and you will feel the pride New Yorkers have for their teams.
Arguably one of the most iconic cities globally also has the most sports teams of any city in the world. It’s also one of the three North American cities to have at least one team from the five major sports leagues in the USA (MLB,MLS,NFL,NBA,NHL).
There is of course, the Yankees. The most major championships of any team in American major league sports and home to some of the world’s most iconic athletes. Down the interstate into Queens you’d find the Mets, who resemble the teams that were previously located in New York (Dodgers and Giants).
Sure, New York’s football hasn’t been great for a while but it’s still iconic. The only team to really get the better of Tom Brady on multiple occasions were the giants in the late 2000s and early 2010s, but the Jets haven’t had much to cheer for since, well, 1968 with Joe Namath.
Add in probably the most iconic indoor venue globally, Madison Square Garden hosting the Knicks in the NBA and the Rangers in the NHL, the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Islanders also play a huge role in the city.
The New York New Jersey Stadium as named by Fifa (known outside the tournament as MetLife Stadium), will play host to this year’s World Cup Final on the 19th of July.
For pure amount of organisations on offer mixed with a hardcore group of people that love their teams, New York sports is a must watch.
CHICAGO
Unbelievably, this is a city that will not be a host city at the World Cup come June and July, but this is a city worth visiting to experience the sporting heritage that it has to offer.
Many will associate sport in the city to the 1990s Michael Jordan era of the Chicago Bulls, in which the Bulls would win six NBA Championships in the decade with number 23 and co.
However, there are so many other stories in Chicago sports that offer so much in terms of what it means to root for the city. The curse of the Billy Goat left the Chicago Cubs without a World Series for 108 years from 1908, until the curse was broken in 2016, thanks to National MVP Kris Bryant and World Series MVP Ben Zobrist to name a few.
The distinct differences in the baseball teams that reside in the city is also iconic. The Cubs to the north at the 2nd oldest ballpark in the league, Wrigley Field, and the Southside native Chicago White Sox, who have had their fare share of disappointment and controversy.
The White Sox went 88 years without a title from 1917 to 2005, and in-between had the 1919 ‘Black Sox’ team that were found guilty of betting and throwing games deliberately that World Series, with players such as ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson being denied of a place amongst Baseball greats in the Hall of fame.
Chicago is also home to famous NFL and NHL teams, the Chicago Bears and Blackhawks. The former has one of the country’s biggest and fiercest rivalry with the Green Bay Packers, and the latter as one of the founding members of the National Hockey League and home to one of the most iconic jerseys in sports.
So, as fan, if you have spare time in the midwest during the World Cup, Chi-Town is a great place to catch sport with some of the most iconic venues and teams in the USA.
