It’s that time again! Oh yes, another 4 years has gone by and it’s not long until the 2026 FIFA World Cup! If you’re into football you’ll know how exciting it gets, and while some of you might be perfectly happy to watch the big matches on your own at home, there’s nothing quite like getting together with a group of your best friends and family for prime viewing. A luxury large group holiday house is just the place for it, marking the occasion, making it so much more memorable.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off (‘scuse the pun) on the 11th June and lasts until 19th July; 48 teams will compete in 104 games over 39 days in several locations in Canada, Mexico and the USA. At the time of writing confirmed fixtures for England are:
- England vs Croatia - June 17, Dallas, 9pm (UK time)
- England vs Ghana - June 23, Boston, 9pm (UK time)
- Panama vs England - June 27, New York, New Jersey, 10pm (UK time)
And for Scotland it's:
- Haiti vs Scotland - June 14, Boston, 2am (UK time)
- Scotland vs Morocco - June 19, Boston, 11pm (UK time)
- Scotland vs Brazil - June 24, Miami, 11pm (UK time)
So, all you footie fans, what are you going to do? Where you gonna watch it, how you going to celebrate this momentous event in our sporting calendar? You could go down the pub for your viewing, but that’s possibly a lot of standing around and there aren’t big fat sofas to sit on. You could watch it at home of course, if it fits in with the fam, but wouldn't it be good to have your friends round too? Well, there's an answer - back in 2022 we noticed our luxury large group holiday houses had an influx of bookings from people wanting to get away to celebrate and watch the World Cup as a group; we get that, that sense of camaraderie, the shared viewing that allows you to experience the highs and the lows of the game collectively – good for enforcing bonds, good for wellbeing.
All you need is a good bunch of people, a big screen, reliable wifi for streaming, and the right place to stay. We can do most of that - our holiday houses have heaps of space and fabulous features with something for all ages, so even if there’s anyone who doesn’t want to watch football, they won’t be bored, because there’s so much else to do. We’re talking private indoor pools, hot tubs, saunas, games rooms, year-round BBQ lodges, play areas for children, oh, and movie/cinema rooms – the perfect setting for your match viewing, with enormous screens, and sometimes, surround sound. Just make sure you’ve got all the snacks and drinks you’ll need, pop your footy shirts on and get comfy.
So the bonus is you get a few days away in a gorgeous house in a lovely location, like a little holiday with football too. Or some might say it’s the other way round – the football with a little holiday thrown in. You’d be wise to check the Facts A-Z of your selected holiday house before booking, to make sure the wifi will be reliable enough, and to find out things like which rooms the TVs are in and how big the screens are. Very important when you want to see the beautiful game in all its glory.
Don’t leave it too late because what happened in 2022 is that people booked ahead for the World Cup and anyone who had hoped for a last minute bargain was disappointed. By early June everyone’s made their plans and excitement is reaching fever pitch. It’s a good vibe, it’s good to be part of that energy, even if you’re not a football fan.
Be organised, work out who’s coming and where you’re going to go, and book it soon. Then you can sit back and look forward to it, knowing that you’ll be watching in style. And you’ve got plenty of time to arrange the finer details, so if you have one of those moments like ‘oh, we need to get little flags for our burgers’, it’ll be okay.
If you don’t make it to a Sleeps12 holiday house for this years’ tournament, there’s always next time. And don’t forget, next year the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 takes place in Brazil from June 24 to July 25. Put it in your diary, hear those Lionesses roar. Meanwhile, bring it on for the World Cup 2026. Here we go, here we go, here we go, Eng-ger-land, Eng-ger-land, Eng-ger-land… ⚽