Franklin World Cup Watch Parties Were Part of Vast State Effort

Franklin pulled off two successful and trouble-free World Cup watch parties organized in conjunction with state tourism officials, Cory Shea's Department of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, and municipal government and public safety officials.

Statewide, similar efforts were happening on a much larger scale, and the Governor has provided a recap.

Thanks to the coordinated
efforts of thousands of public safety professionals, transportation
workers, emergency managers, public health experts and state,
local, federal and private-sector partners, Massachusetts delivered a
safe, secure, and welcoming tournament experience for residents and
visitors alike.

Following more than two years of planning and collaboration, Match Ready Massachusetts brought
together agencies across state government to execute one of the largest
coordinated operations in the state history.
Massachusetts safely hosted seven FIFA World Cup matches, including a
quarterfinal match, hosted Team France's base camp, supported FIFA Fan
Festival at Boston City Hall Plaza and dozens of community watch
parties across the state, and showcased Massachusetts as a global
destination for tourism, sports and innovation.

"The World Cup
gave Massachusetts an incredible opportunity to welcome visitors from
around the globe and show off everything our state has to offer," said Governor Maura Healey.
"From public safety and transportation to public health and emergency
management, thousands of people worked around the clock to make sure
every match was safe, every visitor felt welcome and every community
could share in this historic moment. Their teamwork and dedication made
this tournament an extraordinary success.

“In particular, the
MBTA had a historic performance – safely and efficiently transporting
tens of thousands of fans each day to the brand-new Foxboro station, as
well as to points all around the region,” continued Governor Healey.
“This is a testament to the turnaround at the T under our
administration and the leadership of General Manager Eng. We hope
residents and visitors alike continue to utilize our fare
discounts throughout the rest of the summer and enjoy the major
improvements we have made across the system."

"Hosting seven
World Cup matches was an incredible opportunity to welcome visitors from
around the world and show off everything Massachusetts has to offer,"
said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. "The teamwork,
planning and coordination that went into this tournament were truly
extraordinary, and the partnerships built through this effort will
strengthen our ability to host major events for years to come."

Economic Impact and Tourism

The
2026 FIFA World Cup generated economic activity across Massachusetts,
extending well beyond Boston Stadium through FIFA Fan Festival,
community watch parties and regional events. These celebrations brought
residents and visitors together, supported local
businesses, showcased communities across the state and allowed more
people to participate in the excitement of the tournament. State
agencies worked closely with municipalities, tourism partners and event
organizers to maximize the tournament's statewide economic and tourism
benefits while ensuring events were safe and welcoming.

By the Numbers:

• 447,283 fans attended FIFA World Cup matches in Massachusetts
• More than 30 communities hosted watch parties across the state
• 160,000
  attendees from 108 countries visited the FIFA Fan Festival, with
  hundreds of thousands participating in celebrations statewide

Public Safety

Public
safety operations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup represented one of the
largest coordinated efforts ever undertaken in Massachusetts. A total of
14 specialized planning groups brought together local, state, federal
and private-sector partners to coordinate communications, tactical
operations, intelligence, transportation security, emergency management,
health and medical services, public information, Fan Festival
operations, team movements, and Boston Stadium security. Together, these
partners delivered safe and seamless operations throughout the
tournament.

“The success of the 2026 FIFA World Cup illustrates
the power of working together in support of a global event unlike
anything Massachusetts has seen before,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Gina Kwon.
“Leaders from across local, state, and federal government planned
complex match day operations for nearly two years with one shared
mission of keeping people safe. Through these extraordinary
partnerships, Massachusetts has raised the standard of excellence.”

By the Numbers:

• Deployed more than 4,000 Massachusetts State Police (MSP) staff assignments
• Coordinated
  663 law enforcement missions through the State Police Operations
  Center, ensuring seamless command and control throughout the tournament
• Protected tournament airspace by detecting 70 unauthorized drones, seizing 33 drones, and mitigating six drone incursions
• Safely escorted teams, dignitaries and officials through 260 motorcycle escort missions across the tournament footprint
• Provided
  continuous aerial law enforcement support through the State Police Air
  Wing, conducting surveillance, operational flights and civil unrest
  response missions
• Maintained rapid tactical response
  capabilities through 145 TACOPS activations, including eight Quick
  Reaction Force deployments
• Maintained a safe and secure environment at Boston Stadium
• Activated up to 85 Massachusetts National Guard members to support stadium security
• The
  multi-agency CBRNE Task Force screened 6,863 vehicles, assessed and
  cleared 1,346 unattended bags, and completed 619 security sweeps in
  support of stadium operations
• Produced 38 daily situational
  awareness reports, providing a common operating picture and keeping
  partners informed of operational impacts and emerging issues
• Deployed
  MEMA's Mobile Emergency Operations Center for 27 days to support
  match-day public safety operations, including explosive ordnance
  detection and hazardous materials response
• Activated the Public
  Safety Unified Coordination Center seven
  times, facilitating coordination among 11 operations centers across
  Massachusetts and Rhode Island
• Completed 16 Department of Fire Services Rehab Unit deployments, supporting more than 700 first responders
• Conducted 28 Gator and UTV missions to support public safety and medical operations in and around Boston Stadium
• Supported 30 missions for the U.S. Department of Energy Airborne Measurement System and Technical Support Group

Transportation

MassDOT,
the MBTA and regional transportation providers successfully supported
one of the largest travel operations in Massachusetts history, helping
hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors travel safely and
efficiently throughout the tournament. Through coordinated traffic
management, enhanced incident response, real-time traveler information
and expanded transit service, transportation partners minimized
disruptions while providing reliable access to Boston Stadium.

Ahead
of the World Cup, the MBTA completed major accessibility and capacity
upgrades at Foxboro Station, including new fully accessible
level-boarding platforms that improved passenger flow and allowed riders
to board and exit trains more efficiently.

Throughout
the tournament, the MBTA operated 14 dedicated Commuter Rail express
trains for every match, complemented by additional station personnel,
extended subway and bus service, and targeted schedule adjustments
across the transit network to accommodate both World Cup visitors and
regular riders. These investments and operational enhancements helped
deliver unprecedented rail service to Boston Stadium.

“Since day
one, the Healey-Driscoll Administration has been focused on rebuilding
and strengthening our transportation system, and that commitment has
delivered results. Those investments have made our system stronger and
have allowed us to better serve our communities and the general public,”
said Interim Secretary of Massachusetts & MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng. “People
across the state continue to see and feel that impact, and that is what
has laid the foundation for the success we have had with the World
Cup. Thanks to the outstanding leadership of the Healey-Driscoll
Administration, the support of our state legislature, coordination
between MassDOT, the MBTA, our municipal partners, public safety
agencies, and transportation stakeholders across the region, we
successfully kept people moving while reducing traffic on our roadways.
Through proactive planning, clear and consistent public messaging, and
strong partnerships, we encouraged travelers to use public
transportation and make informed travel decisions. This success reflects
what can be achieved when agencies work together with a shared
commitment to serving the public. On behalf of our teams, I want to
thank every employee and partner whose dedication and teamwork helped
deliver a safe, reliable, and efficient transportation network during
this extraordinary period.”

Governor Healey also launched a series of summer fare promotions and discounts on
the Commuter Rail lowering costs for regular and visiting riders ahead
of the tournament. This included Free Fridays, a 50 percent discount on
monthly passes and expanded weekend travel for monthly pass holders.

By the Numbers:

Throughout June 13-July 9 (when Boston hosted World Cup Matches), the MBTA in partnership with Keolis Commuter Services:

• Operated 98 round trip event trains between South Station and Foxboro Station, which is 14 per match
• Sold
  over 108,940 round-trip train tickets, nearly
  10 times the previous single-event record of
  approximately 11,000 tickets sold for the 2023 Army-Navy Game
• Ensured 100 percent of trains arrived at Boston Stadium with at least 90 minutes before kickoff for every match
• Updated
  existing station signage and installed over 400 new FIFA wayfinding
  material, including signs and decals throughout the transit system to
  help riders navigate stations and connections
• Positioned
  700 employees across the transit network on every match day,
  including customer service, operations, mechanical, engineering and
  safety personnel, to assist riders and quickly respond to operational
  needs
• Established a temporary field maintenance facility in
  Mansfield, staffed by about 100 employees, to support light maintenance,
  cleaning, servicing, and inspections during the match so trains were
  ready to serve riders as soon as the final whistle blew
• Hosted thousands of riders waiting for their boarding groups at Dewey Square in partnership with the Greenway group
• Distributed over
  26,400 cans of Water, 28,500 sunscreen packets, 44,000 ponchos, 25,000
  hand sanitizer wipes, and 15,600 bug repellents through a partnership
  among MassDOT Security & Emergency Management and the Department of
  Public Health (DPH).
• Implemented a comprehensive traffic
  management plan along major corridors to Gillette Stadium,
  using additional incident response, traveler messaging and traffic
  monitoring to minimize delays on Match Days.

Public Health

The
Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) worked alongside local
boards of health, hospitals, healthcare providers and emergency medical
services to help ensure a safe and healthy tournament. Through enhanced
disease surveillance, healthcare coordination, heat preparedness and
multilingual public outreach, DPH supported public health operations
while helping residents and visitors stay informed throughout the
event.

"As the final whistle blew on the last World Cup match in
Massachusetts, we had more to celebrate than six weeks of incredible
soccer," said Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, MD, PhD.
"We welcomed the world, showcased the very best of our Commonwealth and
did it safely and seamlessly because of more than a year of planning
and remarkable collaboration. I am deeply grateful to our Office of
Preparedness and Emergency Management, our state and local partners,
healthcare providers, first responders, and community organizations
whose dedication and determination made this success possible. Public
health works best when we come together, and this World Cup showed
exactly what Massachusetts can accomplish through preparation,
partnership and a shared commitment to keeping people healthy and
safe."

By the Numbers:

• Public health guidance distributed in five languages: English, Brazilian Portuguese, French, Haitian Creole and Spanish
• Coordinated
  with 72 hospitals across Massachusetts and 1 in Rhode Island as well as
  4 Centralized Emergency Medical Dispatch centers
• Seven pre-match healthcare
  coordination calls held with 24 acute care hospital systems, Conference
  of Boston Teaching Hospitals, four licensed ambulance
  services, three regional Health and Medical Coordinating Coalition
  sponsoring organizations, the Rhode Island Department of Health, Rhode
  Island Healthcare Coordination Committee, and the Boston 26 host
  committee to support health system readiness and coordination, in
  addition to several dedicated webinars for healthcare providers and
  local public health in the months leading up to the events
• Four unhealthy
  heat alerts issued across 16 days, including three match days; alert
  notifications distributed to 65,000 recipients through the Health and
  Homeland Alert Network
• 107 emergency medical service transports tracked from Boston Stadium, ranging from seven to 24 transports per match
• Three ambulance
  strike teams provided during match days, working 10-hour shifts to
  support existing EMS operations between South Station and Foxborough
• 40
  DPH staff supporting each match in either an in-person, virtual, or
  on-call capacity to promote situational awareness, provide heat
  mitigation supplies, monitor and mitigate health and medical impacts,
  and closely collaborate with other agencies to provide executive level
  decision-making and strategic guidance.

Public Information

A coordinated communications campaign,Match Ready Massachusetts, helped
keep residents, visitors and partners informed before and throughout
the tournament with timely, multilingual public safety and public health
information.

By the Numbers

• 57
  public information officers coordinated messaging through a Joint
  Information Center spanning federal, state, and local agencies, event
  organizers, and nonprofit organizations
• Two statewide public awareness campaigns launched to promote Match Readiness and Human Trafficking Awareness
• Four public safety readiness press events held ahead of the tournament.
• More than 40 multilingual digital assets and public service announcements produced to inform residents and visitors
• More than 20 public safety and public health messages developed in five languages.

While
the tournament has concluded, the partnerships, operational framework
and lessons learned through Match Ready Massachusetts will continue
strengthening the Commonwealth's preparedness for future large-scale
events and emergencies.