PHONE DEAL FOR VISITING FANS AT 2026 WORLD CUP PART OF VERIZON SPONSOR PACT WITH FIFA

Soccer fans arriving in North America for the 2026 World Cup have been promised help with their cell phone coverage from Verizon as part of a sponsor deal with FIFA announced this week.

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The New York-based technology provider said FIFA expected three million international visitors to the United States, Canada and Mexico for the 48-team tournament from June 11-July 19, 2026.

“We will have a seamless handover to the phones coming in with what we call a ‘soft SIM,’” Verizon chief executive Hans Vestberg said in an online interview. “You don’t need a hard SIM card.”

Fans also should expect fast data service in World Cup stadiums, tailgate areas and fan zones, Vestberg said. The 104 games will be played in 16 cities, including 11 stadiums in the U.S. where Verizon operates with NFL franchises.

“We are basically embedded in all the stadiums already,” he said. “We are going to see that all the fans have the best experiences in the stadiums.”