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What was the first ticketed event at Lincoln Financial Field?
It happened on August 3, 2003, when the stadium hosted an international soccer match between Manchester United and Barcelona.
Next summer, Lincoln Financial Field will serve as one of 16 host venues for the largest FIFA World Cup in history, with 48 nations (up from 32 teams in 2022) competing for one of the most prestigious trophies in all of sports.
On Saturday, FIFA announced the dates, times, and pairings for the five Group Stage matches scheduled to take place at Lincoln Financial Field next summer. Five-time World Cup Champion Brazil, No. 3-ranked France (2018 Champion and 2022 runner-up), and Croatia (2018 runner-up and 2022 third place) are among the featured teams to play at Lincoln Financial Field during the Group Stage.
Group Stage: Sunday, June 14, 2026
Group E: CĂŽte d'Ivoire vs. Ecuador at 7 PM
Group Stage: Friday, June 19, 2026
Group C: Brazil vs. Haiti at 9 PM
Group Stage: Monday, June 22, 2026
Group I: France vs. Iraq/Bolivia/Suriname at 5 PM
Group Stage: Thursday, June 25, 2026
Group E: Curaçao vs. CÎte d'Ivoire at 4 PM
Group Stage: Saturday, June 27, 2026
Group L: Croatia vs. Ghana at 5 PM
Round of 16: Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 5 PM
Teams TBD
Eagles President Don Smolenski and Eagles Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer Frank Gumienny attended the FIFA World Cup draw announcement on Friday at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC ahead of Saturday's match announcement.
"It was a moment to see the culmination of years of planning and trying to bring these types of events to Philadelphia," said Gumienny, who is celebrating his 28th year with the Eagles organization this month. "We'll most likely have four teams come through that have a chance to win the World Cup."
Gumienny recalled the vision crafted by Eagles Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie to bring a world-class stadium to the city while the team was headquartered at Veterans Stadium. Since Lincoln Financial Field opened in 2003, the stadium has been the site of five NFC Championship Games, 57 star-studded concerts, signature events like WrestleMania XL, and 43 national and international soccer matches. Including the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2003.
"When we built Lincoln Financial Field, we talked about how we would continue to bring major large-scale events to Philadelphia," Gumienny said. "This is the cherry on top, one of the largest events in the world. We will keep bringing major events to help highlight both the stadium and the City of Philadelphia."
Gumienny said that talks to include Lincoln Financial Field as part of the city's bid for the World Cup started shortly after Philadelphia hosted the NFL Draft in 2017. More than 250,000 people attended the three-day event, which at the time was an NFL record and reset the standard for what is now an annual road showcase for the league. Gumienny cited the city's collaborative effort, with David Cohen, Dan Hilferty, the Mayor's Office, the Office of Special Events, Philadelphia Soccer, and numerous city constituents coming together to shine a spotlight on this historic city hosting a historic event.
This past summer, eight matches in the first-ever FIFA Club World Cup were played at Lincoln Financial Field, including a quarterfinal knockout match between Palmeiras and eventual champion Chelsea.
"We had a really good preview and test run with the FIFA Club World Cup," Gumienny said. "The stadium was 90 percent what it will look like for the World Cup â the field size, the dimensions, the VAR, everything on the field was identical to what it will be next year."
It's not lost on Gumienny that on July 4, 2026 â the 250th birthday of the United States of America â Lincoln Financial Field will host a Round of 16 knockout match, potentially between traditional World Cup powers Germany and France, who have combined to win six championships.
"There's the crazy passion for the country and the history of Philadelphia, combined with the passion that these fans have for their soccer teams," Gumienny said. "And those fans will get to see Philadelphia shine as a first-class city."
