The 2026 World Cup is spread across 16 host cities in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Here's every one ranked by its live Kakapo safety score — with the four sub-scores and a practical, match-day safety tip for each.
Ranked by overall Kakapo composite score (0–100), highest first. Scores are pulled live and recalculate as advisories and conditions change during the tournament.
| # | City | Country | Score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇺🇸 Dallas | United States | 82 | Very Safe |
| 2 | 🇺🇸 Boston | United States | 81 | Very Safe |
| 3 | 🇨🇦 Vancouver | Canada | 81 | Very Safe |
| 4 | 🇺🇸 Houston | United States | 80 | Very Safe |
| 5 | 🇨🇦 Toronto | Canada | 79 | Very Safe |
| 6 | 🇺🇸 Atlanta | United States | 78 | Very Safe |
| 7 | 🇲🇽 Guadalajara | Mexico | 78 | Very Safe |
| 8 | 🇺🇸 New York / New Jersey | United States | 77 | Safe |
| 9 | 🇺🇸 Miami | United States | 76 | Safe |
| 10 | 🇺🇸 Philadelphia | United States | 75 | Safe |
| 11 | 🇺🇸 Seattle | United States | 75 | Safe |
| 12 | 🇺🇸 Los Angeles | United States | 74 | Safe |
| 13 | 🇺🇸 San Francisco Bay Area | United States | 72 | Safe |
| 14 | 🇲🇽 Mexico City | Mexico | 68 | Caution |
Each card shows the four sub-scores — personal safety, transport, healthcare and air quality — and what they mean for someone travelling there for a match.
The highest-scoring U.S. host city. AT&T Stadium sits in Arlington with no rail link, so plan rideshare or parking in advance — the area is safe but entirely car-dependent, and summer heat is a bigger risk than crime.
Full Dallas safety report →Matches are at Gillette in Foxborough, not the city — book the match-day commuter rail early, as roads gridlock. Central Boston itself is one of the safest U.S. host cities to base in.
Full Boston safety report →Tied for the safest host city overall. BC Place is downtown, SkyTrain-connected and fully walkable — normal big-city awareness is plenty, and the likeliest disruption is rain, not crime.
Full Vancouver safety report →NRG Stadium links to downtown on the METRORail Red Line — use it and rideshare rather than walking long stretches. June heat and humidity are the real hazard; hydrate and plan indoor breaks.
Full Houston safety report →BMO Field is on the lakeshore, reachable by streetcar and GO transit. Toronto is among the safest host cities — standard urban awareness on late-night transit is all you need.
Full Toronto safety report →MARTA rail runs directly to the stadium — take it on match days to skip downtown gridlock. The immediate stadium area is fine; avoid wandering on foot far south or west of it after dark.
Full Atlanta safety report →Mexico's most visitor-friendly host city. Estadio Akron is in Zapopan — use Uber or DiDi rather than hailing street taxis, keep valuables low-profile in crowds, and the trip is straightforward.
Full Guadalajara safety report →The Final is at MetLife in New Jersey — take the dedicated match-day train from Manhattan rather than driving. The city is safe with normal awareness; mind your surroundings on the subway late at night.
Full New York / New Jersey safety report →Hard Rock Stadium is in Miami Gardens, far from South Beach — rideshare is essential and there's no easy transit. Petty theft in tourist zones is the main risk; watch bags and phones in crowds.
Full Miami safety report →The stadium sits in the South Philly sports complex on the Broad Street Line — ride it straight in. Central Philadelphia is fine; keep usual awareness on the subway and around quieter blocks after dark.
Full Philadelphia safety report →Lumen Field is downtown, walkable and served by light rail from the airport. The stadium area is safe on match days — just keep awareness around Pioneer Square and 3rd Ave late at night.
Full Seattle safety report →SoFi is in Inglewood, where transit is thin — pre-book rideshare and don't count on walking between hotels and the venue at night. LA is spread out; plan each leg rather than improvising on foot.
Full Los Angeles safety report →Matches are at Levi's in Santa Clara, not San Francisco — Caltrain and VTA serve it. The signature Bay Area risk is car break-ins ("bipping"): never leave anything visible in a parked vehicle.
Full San Francisco Bay Area safety report →The tournament opens at the iconic Azteca. CDMX rewards street smarts: use Uber or DiDi over street taxis, base in Roma, Condesa or Polanco, watch for pickpockets in crowds, and pace yourself for the 2,240m altitude.
Full Mexico City safety report →Each Kakapo score is a weighted composite of national travel advisories from seven major foreign ministries (US State Department, UK FCDO, Canada and Australia Smartraveller, France, Germany, New Zealand), local crime indices, WHO healthcare-infrastructure data, and live air-quality APIs. The four sub-scores — personal safety, transport, healthcare and air quality — are shown so you can see *why* a city scores the way it does, not just the headline number. Full methodology and per-source weights: https://kakapo.travel/about/methodology.
Scores recalculate automatically — typically within 24 hours of a new advisory — so this ranking stays current through the tournament. If a host city's situation changes during the World Cup, the latest Kakapo safety update for that city appears on its card above.
Journalists and researchers are welcome to cite this ranking — please link back to https://kakapo.travel/blog/world-cup-2026-safety. The data is pulled live, so the linked URL always reflects current scores. For methodology and raw weights, link https://kakapo.travel/about/methodology. Press enquiries: [email protected].
Kakapo publishes real safety scores for 700+ destinations worldwide, drawing on national travel advisories, local crime data, healthcare infrastructure and air-quality APIs. Independent editorial — no advertiser influence on scores.