Two operators ran Van Hool motorcoaches fitted with Allison B 500 fully automatic transmissions across the 2026 tournament’s numerous host cities in the US, Canada and Mexico.
INDIANAPOLIS, USA, July 2026 – The 2026 FIFA World Cup, the largest edition of the tournament to date, involved 48 national teams, 104 matches and 16 host cities across the US, Canada and Mexico. Academy Bus and Connexxions Bus operated Van Hool coaches fitted with Allison B 500 fully automatic transmissions to transport teams, match officials, media and fans throughout the event.
Academy Bus covered transportation across its East Coast service area, including team transfers between hotels, stadiums and training facilities, referee and match official logistics, media shuttle services, and gameday transport for fans and event staff. Connexxions Bus provided dedicated transport over 45 days for the Argentina national team, which advanced all the way to the World Cup final.
The Van Hool coaches at the centre of both operators’ World Cup fleets were equipped with the Allison B 500 fully automatic transmission, a unit designed specifically for intercity and highway coach applications. While the two operators were managing different assignments, their shared foundation was the coach and transmission pairing. The smooth, uninterrupted delivery of power through gear changes is a direct contributor to passenger comfort during the frequent stop-start conditions of stadium approach roads and hotel drop-off zones, while the integrated engine brake and retarder reduce wear on service brakes during repeated stops in concentrated environments. The coaches’ front kneeling with quick recovery and electronic leveling tighten boarding efficiency when strict pickup windows leave no time for slow loading, and a turning radius of under 44 feet let the in-action coaches maneuver confidently through stadiums’ constrained access roads, security checkpoint queues, city streets, and hotel loops.
Allison-equipped Van Hool coaches are built precisely for this kind of demand: stop-start stadium traffic, security-driven route changes, and tight, non-negotiable pickup windows. This performance profile is what makes the transmissions a standard choice for premium coach builders across Europe where this level of team and passenger transport is a familiar part of the game. In Europe, the B 500 transmission is the T525R, the largest product in Allison’s Torqmatic transmission range.
Academy Bus CEO Francis Tedesco said: “We have been proud to support the 2026 FIFA World Cup through a wide range of transportation services throughout our East Coast service area. From transporting teams between hotels, stadiums, and training sites to coordinating referee movements, media shuttles, and gameday transportation for fans and event staff, our employees and drivers have delivered the professionalism, reliability, and attention to detail that a world-class tournament demands.”
July 31st 2026