Know before you go to World Cup: High parking prices, transit options, water bottle policy and more
The Bay Area's first World Cup match in 32 years is set for Saturday as Qatar takes on Switzerland in the first of six matches at Levi's Stadium over the next three weeks.
Logistics getting to 49ers games in Santa Clara can already be tricky, and thousands of fans descending from elsewhere around the globe will be trying to find their way to the matches.
If you are mapping out your arrival on your phone, it's worth noting that Levi's Stadium has been rebranded "San Francisco Bay Area Stadium" to comply with FIFA regulations for the duration of the tournament's Bay Area footprint.
Road closures
The City of Santa Clara announced a multi-phase plan to close the roads and establish detours surrounding the stadium.
The first phase begins about 12 hours before the start of each match.
Phase 2 begins around four hours before kickoff.
Tasman Drive will be shut down in two phases on game days. During the first phase, the road will be closed from Great America Parkway to Calle Del Sol. The second phase will see the closure extended from Calle Del Sol to Lick Mill Boulevard.
In addition, the Stars and Stripes Drive slip ramp will be shut down on match days.
Game days will also see a section of the San Tomas Aquino Creek Trail - running from Stars and Stripes Drive to Agnew Road - closed to pedestrians and bicyclists.
Parking
There is parking near the stadium, and passes are available for each game on FIFA’s official parking site: justpark.com/us/event-parking/fifa-world-cup-2026/.
Parking passes for the first three Bay Area matches range in price from $98.65 (about a 24-minute walk) to $813.76 (9-minute walk). The range is $137.95-$813.76 for the June 22 match, $178.99-$1,049.56 for the June 25 match, and the July 1 Round of 32 game has parking options listed from $203.45 to $1,075.80.
"Parking will be available on matchday, but advance purchase is recommended," a release from the Bay Area Host Committee read.
FIFA's site also notes that prices will increase 24 hours before match time.
Parking lots open four hours before kickoff. BAHC advised attendees to plan to arrive early due to expected congestion around the stadium.
Public transit
If you don't want to drive, VTA light rail trains will be running to the stadium. Caltrain and BART can get you to VTA from almost anywhere in the Bay Area.
BART riders coming from the East Bay will take the Green, Orange, Blue or Yellow line to the Milpitas station. Then transfer to the VTA, taking the Orange Line to Lick Mill station, which is a 10-minute walk to the stadium. A BART trip planner is available at bart.gov/planner, and VTA has its own at vta.org/trip-planner.
Fans coming from the South Bay or the Peninsula can take Caltrain to the Mountain View station. Then a transfer to the VTA Orange Station will get you within walking distance of the stadium.
All three transit agencies will have extra matchday service, though Caltrain will have its regular weekend service Saturday with expanded nighttime service for the remaining matches.
Bike riders should be aware that Caltrain's lockers won't be available during World Cup events.
Also worth noting
Fans can bring one soft, plastic, 20-ounce, sealed disposable water bottle into the stadium. Reusable, hard-sided bottles are prohibited.
Outside food also is prohibited, other than baby food or formula or for documented medical reasons.
Flags are allowed – c'mon this is the World Cup! – but they can't be larger than 78 inches by 60 inches (6.5 feet by 5 feet) and leave your flagpole at home. But any noise-making devices such as vuvuzelas, air horns and whistles will be confiscated.
More stadium rules are posted on the host committee’s website.
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This story was originally published June 12, 2026 at 2:27 PM.