World Cup scouting report: Boston, a biotech hub with traffic challenges, hosts matches

CoStar News examined each FIFA World Cup host city and what the tournament June 11-July 19 could mean for local infrastructure, real estate, tourism and economic development long before the first soccer match is played. Find links to all the markets here.

FIFA World Cup action is coming to cities across North America, some of which played major roles in shaping the United States and today are key commercial real estate markets.

The Boston area, which for the second time will welcome the global soccer spectacle, was at the center of early U.S. history. Today, it is a hub for higher education, life sciences research, corporate headquarters and other important sectors of the economy.

The World Cup matches are expected to drive hotel demand and tourism activity, though the stadium's suburban location has introduced transportation and traffic‑management challenges. The venue, Gillette Stadium, is about 27 miles southwest of downtown Boston.

Here is CoStar News' scouting report:

The city was incorporated in 1630, long before the Revolutionary War, much of which was fought in New England.

Boston is the 25th-largest U.S. city, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, with the metropolitan area ranking No. 11.

The city is densely populated, covering just over 48 square miles. That is tiny compared with far-flung large cities such as Houston, which spans about 641 miles, and Phoenix, which covers about 518 miles.

Boston's skyline is low by many population centers' standards, crowned by the 790-foot-tall 200 Clarendon office tower in the Back Bay.

The 62-story structure has topped the city and all of New England since its completion in 1976. The property, formerly known as the John Hancock Tower, is No. 105 on the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat's list of the tallest North American buildings.

Longtime zoning limits, residents' aversion to skyscrapers and Federal Aviation Administration restrictions on flight patterns at Boston Logan International Airport are among the factors that have thwarted taller proposals.

Boston companies on the 2025 list of the largest corporations included Liberty Mutual Insurance, State Street, Wayfair, American Tower and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Suburban firms on the list are Thermo Fisher Scientific and Global Partners in Waltham; GE Vernova and Biogen in Cambridge; BJ's Wholesale Club and Boston Scientific in Marlborough; TJX in Framingham; Keurig Dr Pepper in Burlington; and Analog Devices in Wilmington.

Boston is a top market for biotech innovation and other sciences, pushing household incomes among the nation's highest. Housing costs are also high, with the median single-family house selling for well over $1 million, according to Homes.com data.

Retail vacancy has fallen near record lows in recent years, limiting options for new entrants, according to CoStar data.

Boston's industrial vacancy rate rose to 8.9% in early 2026, the highest level since 2014, CoStar data shows, with a wave of new construction continuing to soften the market.

Seven matches will be played in Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Built in 2002, the home of the NFL's New England Patriots and Major League Soccer's New England Revolution underwent renovations ahead of the World Cup.

Because of FIFA's neutral-naming policy, the stadium will be referred to as Boston Stadium during the tournament.

In March, Foxborough officials reached an agreement with FIFA, the Boston host committee and a company owned by Patriots owner Robert Kraft to resolve a dispute about how millions of dollars in security costs for the event would be funded. The issue arose when federal funds earmarked for security costs were delayed by a congressional freeze on funding related to the Department of Homeland Security, ESPN reported.

Later that month, an exhibition match between France and Brazil in the stadium was marred by traffic gridlock as fans tried to reach the venue via Interstate 95 and Route 1.

"The traffic was bad," Foxborough Police Chief Michael Grace told CBS Boston.

In 1994, Foxboro Stadium, the since-demolished former home of the Patriots that sat next to the current site of Gillette Stadium, hosted six World Cup games. Argentina's Diego Maradona and Italy's Roberto Baggio were among the stars who played there.

The final game there was Italy's 2-1 victory over rival Spain in the quarterfinals. Baggio scored the decisive goal in the 88th minute.

Italy advanced all the way to the title game before losing to Brazil.

The stadium will again host some of the favorites in the tourney, including national team powerhouses England, France, Norway and Morocco, a 2022 World Cup semifinalist.