World Cup 2026: Meet the duo who visit all 16 stadiums

On a journey that promises to be epic, two friends, Ollie Jenks, from England, and Seth Scott, from Canada, are venturing into an unusual challenge: visiting all 16 stadiums of the 2026 World Cup. The most curious thing is that they are carrying out this experience in a traditional London taxi. There are 10,000 miles to be covered in 39 days, with the mission of completing the trip before the end of the tournament, which will take place in New Jersey on July 19th. Jenks' idea came after watching a 2008 BBC documentary called "Stephen Fry in America", in which the actor travels across the 50 American states in a taxi. As a big football fan, Jenks saw this journey as an opportunity not only to follow the World Cup, but also to help other fans get to the games. During the trip, they are raising funds for charity and offering rides to fans of different nationalities, including fans from Colombia, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Argentina. "The average salary in Bosnia is around $800 a month, so they would have to work for three or four months just to buy a ticket," explains Jenks, highlighting the difficulty many fans face in attending games. "If we can help in any way, we will be doing a good deed. I like this community aspect that football provides." After completing a similar journey from London to Cape Town in a Reliant Robin in late 2025, the friends wasted no time in planning this new adventure. "When the World Cup was announced to be held in the USA, Canada and Mexico, I thought there would be no better opportunity to make this trip that I've dreamed of for years", comments Jenks. "It's an excuse to watch the biggest sporting tournament in the world and also visit the stadiums. In terms of a road trip, it's the best."  On their previous African expedition, they traveled through 22 countries on a four-month journey totaling 14,000 miles, and became the first to cross the continent in a three-wheeled vehicle. However, the new journey across North America has not been easy. The taxi, affectionately called "Abby the Cabby", was found on a film set in Vancouver, but had serious problems – the fuel tank was rusty, the brakes didn't work and the engine was full of dirt. Still, they decided to buy it for a thousand pounds, even though they knew it hadn't been driven for seven years and needed a month of repairs before it left. Since the start of the tournament, the pair have faced a number of challenges but have managed to cover around 350 miles a day. The car, which previously had overheating problems and broken headlights, required several repairs. Additionally, they encountered unexpected delays, such as when police in Mexico thoroughly searched the taxi, confiscating some of the equipment they were carrying. Jenks hopes their journey and the obstacles they overcame inspires others. "People might think 'it's not for everyone,' but they might. It's just a matter of risk. We decided to quit our jobs – of course we don't have kids or a mortgage, but we still had to find a way to do it. The more people travel, the wiser they are.become and learn to treat others with respect. Maybe someone will say, 'those two idiots did it, maybe I'll take my old Land Rover and drive to Morocco or go to a football game in Japan'." The friends are documenting their journey on social media under the name "Hold My Gear" and are already more than halfway there. Now, they are racing against time to complete the trip at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey before the World Cup final, scheduled for Sunday, July 19. Following in the footsteps of Fry and his documentary from 18 years ago, Jenks says the challenge of reaching the finish must be undertaken in an iconic British vehicle. "It's the best British car of all time, the London taxi. It would be really boring if we did that in a decent car."

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