The 2026 FIFA World Cup has arrived.
With watch parties all over the county, there are many local opportunities to experience the biggest tournament of the most popular sport on the planet.
But for hardcore fans looking to get to the matches in Los Angeles, Amtrak has announced a series of accommodations to get Santa Barbara residents to the action.
Amtrak has added an additional late-night ride for trains going from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara on days Los Angeles is hosting a match — June 12, 13, 15 and 25.
The last trains on those days will depart at 10:45 p.m. from LA Union Station and arrive in Santa Barbara by around 1:30 a.m.
Though Los Angeles is not hosting a game on June 13, a late-night ride was added to accommodate for the FIFA Fan Fest at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Although there is an additional train, it won’t stop past Santa Barbara, meaning it doesn’t include service to other Amtrak stations in the county.
Reservations on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner will be required for all rides from June 11 to July 19 to help guarantee preferred departure in time for matches, according to Amtrak.
Additionally, a 20% discount on coach and business fares is available on all trains from now until July 15 for trips to and from Los Angeles.
Even those who couldn’t score tickets to matches will be able to access the LA World Cup 2026 Fan Zone during the World Cup Finals on July 18 and 19.
On those days, the Pacific Surfliner will make an additional stop at Burbank Downtown Station, which will host a Los Angeles World Cup 26 Fan Zone. It will feature live match coverage, festivities and an international street fair.
Additional services to the Santa Barbara area for the World Cup comes after Pacific Surfliner launched a morning commuter train to Santa Barbara last month to extend services throughout the south coast.
But ultimately, Santa Barbara County residents don’t have to look far to experience the World Cup.
Goleta is the official host city of Team Austria and Santa Barbara is hosting Team Qatar. Some residents even got the chance to view the teams’ training sessions at UC Santa Barbara and Westmont College.
Local restaurants, pubs, theaters, community centers, libraries and more are hosting watch parties all over the county for World Cup matches so you can enjoy the action from home.
