Geotab data shows final whistle was the real stress test for global soccer tournament host city roads

Altitude by Geotab analysis of all 104 matches finds the greatest transport pressure came after games, offering lessons for future major-event planning  

ATLANTA and OAKVILLE, ON, Aug. 5, 2026 /CNW/ -- Geotab Inc., drawing on commercial vehicle intelligence from Altitude by Geotab, has analyzed vehicle activity across all 104 matches of the global soccer tournament to understand how major events affect the movement of people, deliveries and day-to-day traffic.

The analysis found that the most consistent transport challenge was not getting spectators to stadiums or keeping entire cities moving during games. It was the synchronized release of thousands of people into the roads surrounding venues after the final whistle.

Downtown Atlanta

Within 5km of stadiums, road conditions remained close to normal during matches. After matches, the pattern changed sharply. Median vehicle activity rose by 19.9%, average speed fell by 3.6% and harsh-braking events increased by 42.1%. The effect was also highly localized. Within 20km of stadiums, post-match vehicle activity increased by only 3.6%, average speed actually rose slightly (0.2%) and harsh-braking events increased by 7.8%.

These findings suggest that stadium departures have a different and distinct pattern compared to arrivals, which may warrant separate planning by cities, businesses and fleets before major events.

"The biggest transport challenge was not necessarily getting people to the event. It was what happened when everyone tried to leave at once," said Mike Branch, VP Data & Analytics at Geotab. "The wider road network generally continued to move, but the roads closest to stadiums experienced a concentrated increase in vehicle activity and driving congestion after matches ended. That gives authorities and businesses a clear area to focus on when preparing for future major events."

Before and during the tournament, Geotab compiled a comparative analysis ranking host cities based on specific metrics related to their ability to cope with major event traffic. The final rankings place Houston first, followed by Arlington and Kansas City. Seattle recorded the largest upward move, rising from 13th to fourth, while Atlanta moved from 12th to sixth. The ranking combines congestion, idle time, safety and resilience, while individual match analysis shows when and how far event-related pressure spread. As a result, a highly ranked city could still experience a significant but predictable post-match surge in traffic.

Different cities, different transport outcomes
The analysis found that venue location, transit access and departure operations produced markedly different road patterns. Atlanta recorded one of the most contained multi-match results. Across eight matches, post-match vehicle activity increased by 4.1%, average speed fell by 2.3% and harsh braking increased by 0.4%.

Kansas City experienced a broader and more pronounced departure surge but recovered predictably within a few hours of match end. Across six matches, and measured against the comparatively low everyday commercial volume around the highway-served Arrowhead complex, post-match vehicle activity increased by 91.4% within 5km, while average speed fell by 9.9% and harsh braking increased by 172.9%. At 20km, vehicle activity remained 35.9% above baseline.

Other cities showed that higher vehicle activity did not automatically create widespread congestion. In Santa Clara, during-match vehicle activity increased by 29.8% while average speed fell by only 0.3%. Philadelphia recorded a 28.7% increase in vehicle activity with the same 0.3% average speed reduction.

"These results show that there is no single model for major-event readiness," added Branch. "A downtown stadium with strong public transport presents a different challenge from a venue that relies on roads, parking and shuttle services. Success should not mean eliminating every surge. It should mean keeping disruption localized, predictable and manageable."

Lessons for cities, fleets and businesses
The findings suggest that host cities could place greater emphasis on how spectators, workers and vehicles disperse after an event.

For city officials and infrastructure planners preparing for large-scale events including the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, potential considerations:

• Prioritizing planning for how crowds leave, not just how they arrive
• Using  data to keep roads moving; real-time monitoring of traffic volume, speed and harsh-braking activity
• Adjusting  business and delivery schedules beyond the start of the event
• Balancing walking and driving; planning for how pedestrians, cars, fleets will share the space

For fleets and local businesses, the data also highlights the value of adjusting delivery windows, routes and driver guidance around the post-event period rather than focusing only on kick-off times.

"Altitude by Geotab, whose commercial vehicle intelligence platform powered the analysis, points to direct implications for cities already planning the next wave of major events. So as Los Angeles prepares to host the world in 2028, our analysis offers some key takeaways; the real mobility stress test happens when the final whistle blows, not when the gates open," said Nate Veeh, AVP Business Development, Altitude by Geotab. "By integrating real-world movement data into their planning now, city planners and event officials can model how to ensure road networks remain resilient and keep people and goods moving before, during and after events."

The analysis was produced using aggregated commercial vehicle intelligence from Altitude by Geotab, which draws on real-world vehicle data collected across Geotab's global telematics network.

Notes to Editors:

• The analysis covered all 104 matches across 16 host stadiums. "During" includes the kickoff hour and the following hour. "Post-match" includes hours two through seven after kickoff. Each match day was compared with the average of three pre-tournament dates falling on the same day of the week.
• Percentage changes are measured relative to each venue's own pre-tournament baseline. Venues located in lower-volume commercial corridors, such as Kansas City's Arrowhead Stadium and Foxborough's Gillette Stadium, will show larger percentage swings for a given absolute change in vehicle activity than venues in dense urban cores.
• In the Geotab Host City Rankings, Geotab has given each city a score from 0 to 10, made up of four components: Congestion (35% of the total score) Idle Time (15%) Safety (25%) Resilience (25%). Every score is measured at two scales independently, then combined: 60% of the weight goes to the area immediately around the stadium (5 km), and 40% goes to the broader metro area (20 km).

About Geotab

Geotab is a global leader in intelligent operations, video telematics and AI-powered insights. Trusted by more than 100,000 customers -- from small and mid-size fleets to Fortune 500 enterprises and public-sector organizations, including the U.S. federal government, Geotab connects approximately 6 million vehicles and assets and processes 100 billion data points daily. With ISO/IEC 27001:2022, SOC2, FIPS 140-3 and FedRAMP authorizations, Geotab's open platform and 700+ partner ecosystem unify safety, compliance and operations in a single system. Our mission: a safer, more efficient, and more sustainable world in motion.

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About Altitude by Geotab

Altitude by GeotabTM, a line of business within Geotab, is a leading provider of advanced mobility insights and solutions for public and commercial sectors across North America. Headquartered in Oakville, Ontario and Atlanta, Georgia, we leverage our expertise in data analytics to help decision-makers gain a comprehensive understanding of road network movements. By delivering reliable and contextualized insights, we enable improved planning capabilities and better financial outcomes, while maintaining data confidentiality and privacy. Our solutions drive safer, more efficient and more sustainable mobility throughout North America. Learn more at altitude.geotab.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

Altitude by Geotab is a trademark or registered trademark of Geotab Inc.

SOURCE Geotab Inc.

Geotab Media Contact: Nicole Riddle, Media Relations Manager, [email protected]