The Last Crusade: 098. Ghana v England: Boston (WCF 26)

England v Ghana

FIFA World Cup 2026, Group L

Boston Stadium

Foxborough, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

23 Jun 26

There was no official programme for FIFA WC 26 but the FA did produce a matchday poster for each game played by the free lions, available on England@England on X

Official Souvenir ticket

Official FIFA WC Host City Poster

ESTC applications for England's second Group game in Boston against Ghana oversubscribed by 2,379. There were 6268 applicants for 3889 tickets in the following categories: 973 x Cat 1, 973 x Cat 2, 1404 x Cat 3 and 539 at Cat 4. Luckily I qualified for the lowest category of ticket (Supporter entry/Cat 4) which was $60 (£45). Sue made the cut for (Supporter value/Cat 3) at the inflated price of $220 (£163). In all it was outrageous ticket pricing from FIFA

The Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium) is located in 22 miles SW of Boston in Foxborough, Massachusetts and has a capacity of 64,628. It is home to the New England Patriots of the NFL and the New England Revolution of the MLS. The stadium had the honour of hosting 7 FIFA 26 WC games:

13 Jun 26: Haiti 0 Scotland 1 (Group C)

16 Jun 26: Iraq 1 Norway 4 (Group I)

19 Jun 26: Scotland 0 Morocco 1 (Group C)

23 Jun 26: England 0 Ghana 0 (Group L)

26 Jun 26: Norway 1 France 4 (Group I)

29 Jun 26: Germany 1 (3p) Paraguay 1 (4p) (Rd of 32)

03 Jul 26: Australia 1 (2p) Egypt 1 (4p) (Rd of 32)

9 Jul 26: France 2 Morocco 0 (QF)

England 0 Ghana 0 Highlights

Attendance: 63,983

Jude B gracing the 201st edition

On 20 Jun we flew with Delta from DFW to Boston and

were in our Airbnb within 30 minutes of landing

Our apartment at 278 Chelsea St, East Boston

The guided tour

Our local neighbourhood pub:

'Kelley Square Pub'

Tour of Kelley Square Pub

The bar owner's dad was a sparring

partner to the legendary Rocky Marciano

Day 1 and we are doing the 'Freedom Trail' which guides you through all of the iconic sites telling the story of the American revolution of 1775 and independence in 1776

The trail starts on Boston Common, the site where the Puritans settled in 1630 renaming Shawmut to Boston

The Massachusetts State House was built in 1798, a long time after the revolution but has served the state ever since

Shaw/54th Regiment Memorial is an important memorial marking interracial cooperation because black soldiers fought alongside white soldiers against the confederates. If they were captured, blacks would be enslaved and whites would be seen as traitors to their race. Shaw and 32 of his men died at Fort Wagner outside Charleston, South Carolina

Park Street Church was built in 1809 on the site of the former town granary where wheat and other grains were stored and sold to the needy for a low price.

Granary Burying Ground is the resting place of many patriots

including Paul Revere the hero of the famous midnight ride

Samuel Adams (organiser of the revolution) also rests

here, next to the 5 victims of the Boston massacre.

King's Chapel was built by order of King James II in 1749. It was unpopular because many of the Puritans had escaped England to get away from the corruption of the C of E

More vandalism by the Tartan Army as Benjamin Franklin

is seen in front of the Latin School wearing a traffic cone

First Public School in America (1635)

The Bronze Donkey is also a feature at the School

The Old South Meeting House is a a shrine to the revolution. It was a plain Puritan Church that rejected elegance and exuberance. It was here where local folk rebelled after the Boston Massacre and the Tea Act, now it is a museum

Anyone for a cuppa

The Old State House was the centre of British authority in Boston and marks the spot of the Boston Massacre of 5 Mar 1770, where 5 Bostonians were killed by the British

Faneuil Hall - Boston's political centre for 250 years

Quincy Market is an extension to

Faneuil Hall and is a shrine to food

Boston Chowder is a local favourite which is loaded with tender potatoes, clams and topped with crispy bacon

Paul Revere's house in North Square is one of the oldest remaining structures (1680). Nearly 100 hundred years later on 18 Apr 1775, Paul Revere rode from here through the night to Lexington to warn fellow patriots of the British attack

Paul Revere statue vandalised by Jocks

The Old North Church is Boston's oldest church (1773) and is the site where Paul Revere shone his signal lanterns from to warn the country of the British troops' march

Inside Old North Church

Heading up Copp's Hill

The Copp's Hill Burying Ground became a camp site for British troops before the attack on Charlestown

The Bunker Hill Monument commemorates the battle of Bunker Hill where a large British force overwhelmed a smaller force of new England patriots. The victory came at a great cost to the British, with over 1000 dead and wounded; a very hollow victory from which the British never recovered thus shaping the path for American independence

Scene on the high ground at Breed's Hill, 16 Jun 1775

Charlestown from the top of the Bunker Hill memorial

The freedom trail finishes in Charlestown where the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) is docked

She is the oldest commissioned warship in the world (1794)

Next we are back into central Boston to get into the

party feel at one of Boston's oldest taverns (1795)

Even Boston's finest are in good cheer

Day 2, Cheers Bar and The Reytons

The Cheers Bar

Packed bar but we managed

to have a drink at 'Norm's seat'

"Friends"💓

Suitably refreshed, now time for a freshen up before the gig

The Reytons are playing at the 500 capacity Brighton Music Hall in the Allston neighbourhood of Boston. This venue was previously the renowned 'Harper's Ferry'

Me and Ian the Sapper

Don't believe the hype

Kids from the estate

Bradford at the Reyton's gig

Beers in the Silhouette Lounge before bo-bo's

Day 3 is Matchday

Catching the train to Foxborough from South Station

Arriving at Foxborough Station

Entering the Stadium zone

The Boston Stadium (AKA Gillette Stadium) pictured

with it's famous 66m tall lighthouse

Patriot Place is a leisure centre with many

restaurants and bars, ideal for pre-match

Inside the complex

Queuing to meet Des at Scorpion Bar

Des and family

Emily is a naughty girl

American white dude in a Ghana shirt

is starting to take some shit

Photo opportunity with Miss Ghana

The final security check is coming

We meet up with two of my former

Army bosses (Phil Stone and Stu Carter)

England's finest

Sue and Zoe (from the Rodeo in FW)

My view from Block 203 (in front of the light house)

Let battle commence!

The giant screen in the England (lighthouse end)

The national anthem of Ghana

Countdown...10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2...😆

1st Half and Ghana park a big yellow bus

Mr Bish

2nd Half starts and we change blocks

Football is a difficult watch, but we're all in the zone!

Especially this one😎

Another sold out stadium, ching!💲💲💲

After the game its off to Duksey's 60th

No idea who was there but we all had a good time

Day 4: Harbour Cruise and Fenway Park

All aboard the Bay State for the

Historic Boston Harbour Cruise

Boston Skyline

The Boston Tea Party

Fort Independence was built by the British in 1634 (known as 'the castle'). After the revolution it became a symbol of the American revolution and independence of 1776