Two friends — one Englishman, one Canadian — are attempting to visit every single one of the 16 venues hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and they are doing it in a battered London black cab named 'Abby the Cabby'.

Ollie Jenks and Seth Scott have set themselves a target of covering roughly 10,000 miles across three countries in 39 days, finishing at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey before the World Cup final on 19 July.

Inspired by Stephen Fry and a dream of the open road

The idea was partly sparked by a 2008 BBC documentary, Stephen Fry in America, in which the actor toured all 50 United States primarily in a black cab. For Jenks, a lifelong football fan, the World Cup represented the ideal backdrop for a similarly iconic road trip.

"When the World Cup announced it would be hosted in the USA, Canada and Mexico, being a big football fan I thought there would be no better opportunity to do a trip I dreamt of years ago," Jenks explains.

The pair had already completed a four-month, 14,000-mile drive from London to Cape Town in a Reliant Robin in late 2025 — becoming the first people to drive the length of Africa in a three-wheeled vehicle. This expedition is their follow-up act.

Finding 'Abby the Cabby'

Locating a traditional London black cab in North America proved no simple task. Scott eventually tracked one down on a film set in Vancouver — but the vehicle was far from road-ready.

"I looked at it and told Ollie, 'we should not buy this, that is awful'," Scott recalls. "The fuel tank was rusted out, the brakes were seized and it didn't even roll initially. The fuel lines are full of dirt and the engine was full of mud. The radiator was rusted out. It was genuinely awful."

Despite the alarming condition, the duo purchased 'Abby the Cabby' for £1,000. The cab had not been driven in seven years and required a full month of repairs before it could take a single mile of the journey.

Breakdowns, border searches, and good deeds

Since departing at the tournament's kick-off, the pair have averaged around 350 miles per day — no mean feat given the near-constant mechanical drama. Overheating, smashed lights, and repeated repairs have tested their resolve at every turn. The question of whether the cab will survive the full 10,000 miles remains very much open.

Trouble has come in other forms too. Police in Mexico subjected the taxi to a thorough search, during which some of the duo's equipment was confiscated.

Yet amid the chaos, Jenks and Scott have made a point of giving free lifts to World Cup spectators who struggle with the costs of attending the tournament. Supporters from Colombia, Ghana, DR Congo, and Argentina are among those who have already ridden in the cab.

"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," said Jenks. "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."

The pair have also been raising money for charity throughout the journey, which they are documenting on social media under the handle Hold My Gear.

A race to the final whistle

Now past the halfway point of their route, Jenks and Scott are in a genuine race against the clock. Every mechanical setback chips away at the margin they need to reach New Jersey by the final on 19 July.

Jenks is clear about what keeps him going — and what he hopes the adventure communicates to others.

"You say 'not everyone can do it', but they can. It's just the risk," he says. "The more people travel, the more they become wise and learn to treat each other with respect."

As for the choice of vehicle, Jenks is unapologetic: "[It's] the best British car of all time, the London taxi. [It would be] too boring if we did it in a decent car."