South Florida is hosting its third FIFA World Cup match with Scotland taking on Brazil, with kick off scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday at Hard Rock Stadium (which has been renamed Miami Stadium and stripped of all non-FIFA corporate branding for the duration of the five-week tournament).
The Miami Herald will keep you updated on what is going on inside the stadium as soon as the gates open in this live updates blog.
Will Miami be the last stop for the Tartan Army?
8 p.m. Brazil won 3-0. The Tartan Army party could be over, but they could still squeak into next round depending on other results later in the week.
-Michelle Kaufman
Fans in Miami not happy about Trump at final 
Brazil fan Eduardo Pascoal kisses a World Cup replica as he arrives to Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Stadium) before the start of his team’s World Cup Group C soccer match against Scotland on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com
7 p.m. Some fans descending on Hard Rock Stadium to watch Brazil and Scotland play said they weren’t happy about Tuesday’s announcement that Donald Trump would be the one handing out the World Cup trophy after the final match July 19.
Eduardo Pascoal is from São Paulo and is traveling with Brazil as far as they make it in this year’s World Cup.
He was toting a fake trophy at Wednesday’s match, saying he’s hoping it will turn into another real one for Brazil this year. But he doesn’t like the idea that Trump could be the one to hand that treasured trophy to his team.
“I don’t like it, the world doesn’t like it,” Pascoal said in Spanish.
Fifa president Gianni Infantino revealed on Fox & Friends Tuesday that he and Trump would be attending the final in New Jersey together, and handing the trophy to the winning team together.
“Of course, we are together all the time,” Infantino said. Trump also presented the Club World Cup trophy to Chelsea last year.
One member of the swarming Tartan Army fans at Wednesday’s match was wearing a navy blue “Make Scotland Great Again” hat to the match. He declined to be named, but quickly clarified to the Miami Herald it was “sarcasm” against the U.S. president, not in support.
As far as Trump handing out the final trophy, the fan said, “Absolutely no, no, no.”
-Claire Heddles
FIFA Fan Fest at capacity in Miami
6: 30 p.m. Fans in yellow and green and others dressed in plaid kilts and patterned jerseys were turned away from FIFA Fan Fest at Bayfront Park on Wednesday as the event reached capacity.
Officers on the scene said that visitors will be able to enter only as people clear out. Fans for Brazil and Scotland stood in line outside the park, hoping for a chance to get through before the game concludes.
The Tartan Army, the horde of Scottish fans known for their partying spirit, were eager to drink and chant alongside Brazilian fans leading up to their teams’ match up at 6 p.m. But minutes after the game began, thousands of fans were blocked entry.
Read the full story: Fans in Miami turned away from ‘at capacity’ Fan Fest during Brazil vs. Scotland
-Delia Sauer
The battle of boisterous fandoms 
Brazil fans cheer as they arrive to Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Stadium) before the start of his team’s World Cup Group C soccer match against Scotland on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. Photo by Matias J. Ocner mocner@miamiherald.com
6 p.m. Two of the liveliest and most fun-loving fan groups in world soccer, the Brazilians and Scotland’s Tartan Army, met in Miami Wednesday night and the pregame scene was just a preview of what was to come.
Two young Brazilian boys showed their fancy dance moves the sound of a bagpipe played by Scottish Tartan Army fan Mark Love, who was visiting from Edinburgh. A crowd of Brazilian and Scottish fans danced together and juggled a soccer ball back and forth as music blared from speakers in the Fan Zone.
Every imaginable yellow, green and blue wig was on display among the sea of kilts outside Hard Rock Stadium (re-named Miami Stadium for the World Cup), faces were painted in all the team colors, and fans of both teams posed for photos together.
Soaking it all were five lifelong friends from Aberdeen, Scotland, wearing tartan suits and sunburns. Bev Hendry, 72, and his brother, Brian Hendry, 67, drove to Miami in a van after attending the two games in Boston along with friends Bob Greig, 70, Steve Docherty, 56, and John Erskine, 77.
They stayed in an Airbnb in Arlington, Mass., and were touched by the hospitality of their neighbors.
“The first night, somebody left a bottle of whiskey on our front porch, the second night, they left a case of beer,” said Bev Hendry. “It was amazing. In Scotland, there was so much negativity about the World Cup in the U.S. that nobody was expecting us to be made welcome. We came here and everyone’s been brilliant.”
Their travels have taken them through Gloucester, Ipswich, Essex, Rockport, Manchester by the Sea, Fredericksburg (Virginia), Savannah, Mystic (Connecticut). On Monday, after arriving in Fort Lauderdale, they took a ride on the Jungle Queen cruise.
“Everywhere we go, people know we’re with the Tartan Army, and they are so hospitable,” Brian Hendry said. “We hope to keep the party going.”
Dressed in a fur-rimmed white Scotland cowboy hat and kilt, Caroline Beveridge has been a longtime member of the Tartan Army, but her first time watching the team live will be in Miami, not Scotland’s own Hampden Park.
She said she and her husband have been loving their trip to South Florida, except for the prices around town.
“Absolutely love it. Everybody is so nice and friendly, but expensive!” she said while enjoying a beer in the fan zone outside the stadium.
Meanwhile, Brazilian fan Carolina Neri, who was born in Sao Paolo but lives in Miami, attended the game alone, carrying a large photo of her husband’s face visible in a clear plastic purse. It was her dream to attend a Brazil World Cup game, they thought they couldn’t get tickets, but her husband surprised her last Friday and bought her a ticket to the game.
“I had gotten us tickets for the Uruguay vs. Saudi Arabia game, but there was a mixup with my FIFA ticketing and I never got the ticket, so my husband surprised me and got me this ticket, which is a dream come true for me,” Neri said. “I can’t believe I’m here!”
Peter Deng, who’s face was covered in yellow and blue face paint, has been traveling to watch the Brazilian team for 32 years and is attending his fourth World Cup this year.
He flew into town from California, and is planning to head to Houston next if Brazil continues on to the World Cup’s next round.
“Every game, every World Cup, I’m there,” Deng said.
Plenty of other fans had flown into Miami for Wednesday’s match — including some with bagpipes as their luggage.
James Watt traveled from his small town of Tranent, bagpipes in tow, to set the musical vibe for Scotland fans partying throughout Miami this week. But Brazil fans too couldn’t resist the instrument’s unique sound, and were taking pictures with him and dancing to the music as he played Wednesday afternoon in the fan zone outside the stadium.
Watt’s been playing the instrument for nearly 30 years, and said he’s been having a great time in Miami, except the fact that “the heat doesn’t suit us, hoping for some rain and wind,” he said as the sun beat down on the humid Miami afternoon.
-Claire Heddle and Michelle Kaufman
British Ambassador to the U.S.: The Tartan Army are ‘the real ambassadors’
Sir Christian Turner is the British Ambassador to the United States, but for the past two weeks, he says it is the lovable members of Scotland’s Tartan Army who are “the real ambassadors.” Turner was at Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Stadium) for Wednesday’s World Cup match between Scotland and Brazil and spoke to the Herald before the game about the Tartan Army’s impact on the tournament. “For me, as ambassador, even bigger than the sporting side of the World Cup is the connections, global friendship, patriotism, having fun, and fair play, and the reception the Tartan Army have had is just something else,” said Turner, who visited with Brazilian legends Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos in a suite. “I don’t want to upset you folks in Florida, but apparently those Bostonians are mourning the departure of the Tartan Army. Apparently, their bars are a bit less full now, the traffic cones are off their statues. That sense of hospitality and friendship, in a world where there a lot of things dividing us, and suddenly, we remind each other what brings us together. What the Scottish fans are doing, they are the real ambassadors.” He said the tourists he has spoken to are having a wonderful experience in America. “They’re all saying, we’re staying on, we want to spend more time here, and, of course, they’re seeing the country while they’re here, so for Americans, this is creating jobs and bringing revenue in,” he said. “So, everyone wins.”
-Michelle Kaufman
Brazilian fans love the shuttle 
Brazil fans Adriana De Arce and her sister, Joana Souza, take the free shuttle to the Brazil vs. Scotland match. Vinod Sreeharsha
4:30 p.m. The first shuttle from Golden Glades Intermodal Station left at 2:30 p.m. sharp on Wednesday and rolled out every 15 minutes.
Adriana De Arce, a proud Rio de Janeiro native, and her group made a last minute decision to take the county shuttle. They’d planned to take Uber to Hard Rock but then started hearing stories about passengers having difficulties. They feared being dropped off far from the stadium.
Decked out in yellow and green and De Arce carrying a Brazilian flag, they were among the first to board the shuttle on Wednesday.
“The bus is air-conditioned,” beamed De Arce while speaking to the Herald on Wednesday on the way to the stadium. Miami’s heat index was over 100 degrees. “And it’s very organized,” she said. De Arce is attending her first World Cup.
The 46 year-old and her party are all Cariocas, the term used for those from Rio de Janeiro, but they’ve all lived in Miami for many years. Her sister, Joana Souza, was seated next to her and attending her third World Cup.
She was particularly excited about Brazil star player Neymar’s planned return.
“I’m feeling wonderful that Neymar is finally back,” she said. “All Brazilians are feeling hopeful.”
The nearly full shuttle was mostly Brazilian fans, including those not from Brazil. Rick Vec, an American from West Palm Beach, was riding with his son to their first World Cup match. They both donned Brazil jerseys. Vec was also pleasantly surprised that the shuttle left on time.
Benny Kessel, 52, was with his wife, Sheila Kessel, 50, near the front of the shuttle. They had visited Scotland and so have a soft spot for the country. But not on Wednesday. They donned Brazil colors.
The Kessels said they didn’t know about the shuttle until a few days ago. “It’s perfect,” said Benny.
-Vinod Sreeharsha
Can you still get tickets? Yes, but it will cost you
2:55 p.m. So, you spent the past few days watching Scotland’s Tartan Army and Brazilian fans partying all over South Florida and decided you want to buy tickets for their World Cup match tonight.
It’s not too late but be ready to pay a pretty penny.
Limited seats were available on the secondary market three hours before kickoff for the 64,487-seat Hard Rock Stadium (scrubbed of all branding by FIFA and re-named Miami Stadium for the tournament due to sponsorship restrictions). The cheapest get-in price on Vivid Seats and SeatGeek for the 6 p.m. match was in the $3,000 range for upper-level seats and endzones.
Lower bowl and mid-level seats were going for $3,500 to $5,000. Premium and VIP seating ranged from $7,000 to $18,000.
Searches on TicketMaster and StubHub did not show any available seats.
The 2026 World Cup is on pace to be the most attended in history with a cumulative attendance across 44 matches surpassing 2.85 million spectators and stadiums reporting average capacities of 99.6 percent full, per FIFA. The average attendance has been 65,483. The tournament is rapidly outpacing the previous all-time record set in 1994 (3.5 million attendees).
– Michelle Kaufman
Rain and traffic by the stadium
2:45 p.m. A toddler decked out in Brazil’s colors clung to her mom’s leg in the tight huddle of Brazil fans, members of the Tartan Army and Miami-Dade County Sherriff’s officers seeking shelter from the downpour ahead of Wednesday’s match.
Other Scotland fans in kilts were roaming the sidewalks around the stadium waiting for the gates to open at 3 p.m.
Scattered thunderstorms in Miami Gardens are likely to subside by 7 p.m., according to the National Weather Service, so its still an open question of whether the match will start when it’s scheduled at 6 p.m.
Athletes will play on if it’s just rain, and fans in uncovered sections could be watching under a downpour, too. But if lighting strikes continue — like the scattered strikes that were visible around the stadium early Wednesday afternoon — the match could be delayed.
If a lightning strike is detected within eight miles of the stadium, players will have to leave the field and fans will need to vacate the stands. A mandatory 30-minute countdown begins. Each new lightning strike resets the clock’s countdown. Once 30 minutes have passed with no lightning strikes, players can warm up and fans can return to their seats.
Wednesday’s match could be the second 2026 World Cup game delayed by the weather, the France versus Iraq game in Philadelphia was delayed over two hours Monday.
A delay that long is unlikely in Miami: after 7 p.m., mostly cloudy skies are expected before gradually clearing up with temperatures in the upper 70s, according to the weather service.
-Claire Heddles, Howard Cohen
Tartan Army and Brazil fans huddled with Miami-Dade County sherriff’s officers under one of the few covered areas outside Hard Rock Stadium while waiting for the gates to open. AL DIAZ adiaz@miamiherald.com
1:50 p.m. The rain is coming down hard near Miami Stadium and traffic restrictions are already in place. Eastbound travel on Northwest 199th Street from Northwest 27th Avenue is blocked off.
As the weather gets worse, fans in Brazil and Scotland jerseys have packed Starbucks, Dunkin’ and Denny’s near the stadium as they wait for gates to open.
Some fans, including Scottish supporter Rory Syme, arrived early and gathered near a shopping center by the stadium while waiting for gates to open. Syme said they wanted to beat the weather and traffic before the area got too crowded.
“We knew it was going to be absolute bedlam, so we figured we’d get out early,” Syme said. “We’ve been waiting 20 years for this. I wasn’t going to miss anything because I was stuck in traffic.”
-Tyler Carmona
Read the full story: Rain doesn’t stop Brazil, Scotland fans from arriving early at Miami Stadium
Traffic will be a nightmare. Here’s what to know
Several streets and highway exits will be shut down near the stadium in Miami Gardens and the fan festival in downtown Miami ahead of the 6 p.m. match Wednesday. Keep in mind: There’s also a match at 7:30 p.m. Saturday for Portugal vs. Colombia, so the fan fest will be packed.
Read the full story: Expect traffic madness for the big Scotland-Brazil World Cup match. Here’s help
The Tartan Army took over Miami
Scottish fans are enthusiastic, rambunctious, loud and — more than anything — organized. The Tartan Army, as they are called, waged an unprecedented peaceful takeover of Miami leading up to tonight’s game. They marched through Little Havana. They took over the Marlins vs. Rangers game. They invaded Ocean Drive.
No matter the outcome of tonight’s match, it sounds like the Tartans are going to keep the party going.
Read the full story: Tartan Army wants to keep its World Cup party going with win or tie vs. Brazil
If you have a ticket
To start, we have a comprehensive guide with everything you need to know about today’s match for those that have a ticket with tips getting to the stadium, parking, what kind of bags you can bring inside, what kind of instruments, flags and signs you can bring into the stadium — anything you can think of.
Important info for ticketholders who also purchased a parking pass: In addition to the electronic pass you received, you must print and display the pass included in e-mail on your windshield. Only cars with this pass can access roads near the stadium. So, you will need an electronic ticket, an electronic parking pass and a printed out road access pass that goes in your windshield/dashboard. — Michelle Kaufman
Read the story: Going to a World Cup game at Miami Stadium? Here’s everything you need to know
Watch parties
For the rest of us mere mortals who plan to watch the match on a screen, there are so many options around town to watch with soccer fans, from the official Fan Fest in Bayfront Park, to local municipal watch parties to parties hosted at local bars and restaurants that feature food and drink specials.
Read the full stories:
Looking for a World Cup watch party in Miami? See list of free community events
How to watch the World Cup in Miami away from the stadium. See the choices
World Cup is here! What you need to know about Miami Fan Fest, transportation
What do you need to know about the teams before the game?
Take a look at team history, players to watch and where FIFA ranks both teams.
Read the full story: Here’s a guide to the seven World Cup teams (and their fans) headed to Miami
How hot is it going to be?
The forecast temperature at match time: 88 degrees with a feels-like reading of 99, according to AccuWeather. Hours earlier if you’re tailgating between 2 and 4, that feels-like will be at 102 in Miami Gardens with an air temp of 89. Even around 9 p.m. when the game’s likely wrapped you’ll still file out of the stadium to a sticky 86 degrees and 95 feels-like.
Read the full story: Will the Miami World Cup match and a holiday weekend face extreme heat? See risk
This story was originally published June 24, 2026 at 1:51 PM.
Miami Herald
Andre Fernandez is the Deputy Sports Editor of the Miami Herald and has covered a wide variety of sports during his career including the Miami Marlins, Miami Heat, Miami Dolphins, University of Miami athletics, and high school sports.
Miami Herald
Vinod Sreeharsha covers tourism trends in South Florida for the Miami Herald.