Duo visits all 16 World Cup venues in a London cab

Two men are attempting to visit all 16 venues of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in a traditional London black cab, covering 10,000 miles across three countries in 39 days. Englishman Ollie Jenks and Canadian Seth Scott began their journey at the start of the tournament and aim to finish before the final in New Jersey on July 19.

Inspiration and purpose

The idea was partly inspired by a 2008 BBC documentary, 'Stephen Fry in America', in which the actor traveled across all 50 US states in a black cab. Jenks, a lifelong football fan, saw the World Cup as the perfect opportunity to combine his love for the sport with a road trip. "I get bored very quickly is the simple answer," Jenks said, but the real motivation is more nuanced: the duo are raising money for charity and offering free rides to spectators who might otherwise struggle to afford travel.

Supporters from Colombia, Ghana, DR Congo, and Argentina have already hitched a ride. "The average wage in Bosnia is like $800 a month or something, so they'd have to work for three or four months just to afford a ticket," Jenks explained. "If we can maybe help out in some kind of way, we would have done a bit of a good deed at the same time. I like that community aspect for football kind of brings together."

The vehicle: 'Abby the Cabby'

The black cab, nicknamed 'Abby the Cabby', was the only traditional London taxi the pair could find in North America. Scott tracked it down at a film set in Vancouver. "I looked at it and told Ollie, 'we should not buy this, that is awful'," Scott recalled. "The fuel tank was rusted out, the brakes were seized and it didn't even roll initially. We had to get a tow truck to drag it in. The fuel lines are full of dirt and the engine was full of mud. The radiator was rusted out. It was genuinely awful."

Despite its condition, they bought it for £1,000 and spent a month repairing it before setting off. Since then, the cab has required constant maintenance, including fixing overheating issues and replacing smashed lights. The duo travel about 350 miles per day, always under the stress of whether the vehicle will survive the journey.

Challenges along the way

The expedition has faced numerous setbacks. In Mexico, police conducted a thorough search of the taxi and confiscated some of their equipment. The pair previously completed a similar challenge driving from London to Cape Town in a Reliant Robin in late 2025, traveling through 22 countries over 14,000 miles. That trip made them the first people to drive the length of Africa in a three-wheeler.

Jenks hopes their adventure will inspire others to pursue their own ambitious goals, despite the obstacles. The duo continue their journey, offering lifts and raising funds as they make their way across the continent.