Over six weeks, from June 11 to July 19, the World Cup 2026 brought together millions of fans from around the globe, filling stadiums with unforgettable moments on and off the pitch. Behind every matchday was the challenge of welcoming tens of thousands of spectators safely, efficiently, and without disrupting the excitement of the event.

Axess is proud to have supported this global tournament with smart access control solutions at five host stadiums, where 33 matches were played.

Supporting five World Cup venues

Over recent years, five stadiums across the United States and Canada have been equipped with our access solutions as part of comprehensive stadium modernization projects. Throughout the tournament, these venues relied on Axess technology to deliver fast, secure, and efficient access for millions of fans attending one of the world's largest sporting events.

Gillette Stadium in Boston featured 148 AX500 Smart Gate NG units distributed across 16 entrance locations.

Hard Rock Stadium in Miami relied on 134 AX500 Smart Gate NG units throughout the tournament, including the bronze medal match.

Lumen Field in Seattle was equipped with 110 Axess SMART GATE 600 units and 12 Axess HANDHELD devices.

Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia relied on 125 AX500 Smart Gate NG units together with 10 Axess HANDHELD devices.

BC Place in Vancouver utilized 110 AX500 Smart Gate NG units and 10 Axess HANDHELD devices.

Reliable performance under tournament conditions

Every venue faced the same challenge: welcoming thousands of fans arriving in concentrated waves before kick-off while maintaining a secure, efficient, and enjoyable entry experience.

Our solutions enabled venues to manage high-capacity access operations with speed and reliability, allowing fans to move quickly through stadium entrances while helping staff maintain smooth matchday operations.
At Gillette Stadium, for example, the installed access system admitted nearly half of the stadium's capacity during the 45 minutes before kick-off, reaching peak entry rates of 900 spectators per minute. This performance demonstrated the scalability and operational strength required to support events of this scale.

Team Axess: behind every match

Delivering seamless stadium access throughout the tournament required more than advanced technology—it required experienced people working together before, during, and after every match.

Dedicated members of the Axess Stadia US team and Axess headquarters provided on-site support at the host venues, carrying out final system checks, monitoring operations, and ensuring everything was ready for each event. Behind the scenes, colleagues at Axess headquarters in Austria worked around the clock, providing remote support and technical expertise whenever needed. Together, the on-site and remote teams helped ensure uninterrupted operations and a seamless experience for millions of fans.

Part of Team Axess at Gillete Stadium.

A trusted partner for major sporting events

The successful completion of the World Cup 2026 represents another milestone for Axess in delivering smart access solutions for world-class sports venues.

By supporting 33 World Cup matches across five stadiums, we once again demonstrated our ability to deliver reliable, high-performance technology that helps venue operators meet the highest standards of security, efficiency, and fan experience.

Beyond the unforgettable moments on the pitch, the tournament also showcased the importance of the people and partnerships working behind the scenes. We thank our customers, partners, and colleagues whose commitment and expertise helped make this historic World Cup a success.