Scotland World Cup 2026 travel: How to fly to the US, Canada and Mexico from Scottish airports
Tartan Army to find out next month which US, Mexican or Canadian cities to head for
The Tartan Army faces a potentially bewildering travel challenge to follow Scotland at the 2026 Men’s World Cup finals compared to the relatively compact location of the last outing - in France 27 years ago.
The biggest-ever tournament, to be held in June and July, will be split across a vast area of three North American countries, while the 1998 finals were held in a single European state.
A total of 16 cities will host the matches - 11 in the United States, three in Mexico and two in Canada - over five-and-a-half weeks between June 11 and July 19.
Five of the destinations have direct flights from Scotland, but fans won’t know where Scotland will be playing or against which teams until a draw at 5pm UK time on Friday, December 5.
Scotland earned a place in the finals after beating Denmark 4-2 in a qualifying match at Hampden Park in Glasgow on Tuesday night.
Here are the key details you need to know for travel for next year’s World Cup.
Where and when is the World Cup finals being held?
The United States, Mexico and Canada, from June 11 to July 19
Where will the fixtures take place?
The 104 games involving 48 teams will be held in 16 host cities. They are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle and San Francisco in the US.
Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey in Mexico, and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada.
Which cities have direct flights from Scotland?
Atlanta, Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Toronto, from Edinburgh, and New York and Toronto from Glasgow - with options to connect with internal US/Canada flights on arrival. There are no direct flights to the three Mexican host cities.
What are the options for travelling to the other host cities?
There are connecting flights from Edinburgh and Glasgow (and some from Aberdeen and Inverness) to Heathrow and European hubs for onward connections, such as Dublin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Paris and Reykjavik.
Airlines providing these include British Airways, Aer Lingus, KLM, SAS, Air France, Lufthansa and Icelandair.
Dublin boasts US pre-clearance, enabling those passengers to clear immigration and customs before taking off, avoiding arrival queues.
Edinburgh also has direct flights to Boston, Chicago, Orlando, and Washington DC in the US, and Calgary, Halifax and Montreal in Canada, providing other flight connection options.
Glasgow also has direct flights to Orlando, and Cancun in Mexico, which it said offered “short hops from host cities and perfect for combining football with a holiday”.
What are Scottish airports saying?
Glasgow Airport said it would speak with airlines following the draw about increasing flight frequencies and adding charter services, depending on the host cities for the Scotland fixtures.
Edinburgh Airport said that in addition to its direct transatlantic routes and connections via European hubs, “the Tartan Army is well versed in other wild and wonderful routes so we’re sure they are considering all options”.
Scotland’s busiest airport said it would issue updated travel guidance nearer the tournament. During last year’s Euros, it advised the Tartan Army that travelling in kilts and sporrans caused problems at airport security.
In particular, fans were told not to put sgian dubhs in hand luggage, or leave them at home instead.
What is the Scottish travel trade saying?
The Scottish Passenger Agents Association said: “The whole country is buzzing that Scotland is back on the world stage.
“This time, we’ll need more than a quick hop over the Channel, and the Tartan Army is already preparing for its biggest global march since ‘Ally’s Army’ headed for Argentina in 1978.
“Fortunately, in travel terms, 2026 looks nothing like 1978 ... or even 1998. Scotland’s in the best travel position it’s ever been, with routine direct flights from Scotland to the USA and Canada from Edinburgh and Glasgow, with hubs like New York, Chicago, Toronto and Boston providing straightforward onward connections to almost all host cities.
“Services to Mexico are indirect, but vastly easier than in previous decades, with same-day connections and none of the 70s ‘go via everywhere’ approach.
“Thanks to modern aviation, Scotland’s fans can reach the group stages without crossing three continents, two oceans and a time zone they didn’t know existed.
“Scotland’s travel professionals are already planning tailored packages to all host cities, multi-centre itineraries for those following Scotland across North America, advice on visas, entry requirements, the quirks of three host nations, and protection for fans booking complex, multi-flight World Cup trips.”
“Simply put: in 2026, your journey to the World Cup will be more ‘seamless adventure’ and less ‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles – Tartan Edition’ when you use a Scottish travel agent.”
Glasgow-based Barrhead Travel, one of the UK’s largest travel firms, is already offering package deals for fans to combine the tournament with a holiday and said demand was “expected to quickly escalate when the fixtures are announced”.
The agency said some fans started booking last year when they were launched. It is offering short breaks to take in individual matches, ‘follow-my-team’ packages and tailormade options for longer stays.
Managing director Nicki Tempest-Mitchell said: “The World Cup is the ultimate bucket list experience, and every supporter will want something slightly different from their trip.
“With it being held across North America, we’re expecting that a significant portion of people will want to extend their trip and build the holiday-of-a-lifetime around one or more of the matches.”
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