Ollie Jenks gets bored easily. That is the simple explanation, he says, for why he and his Canadian friend Seth Scott are attempting to drive a traditional London black cab to all 16 venues used at this summer's World Cup — a 10,000-mile, 39-day odyssey through three countries that must finish before the tournament concludes in New Jersey on 19 July.
The adventure was partly inspired by a 2008 BBC documentary called 'Stephen Fry in America', in which the actor and comedian travelled across all 50 United States, primarily in a black cab. For lifelong football fan Jenks, the challenge offers more than just a road trip: it is a chance to help others attending the World Cup.
“Two men are driving a London black cab 10,000 miles to visit all 16 World Cup stadiums in 39 days.”
The duo have been raising money for charity and, mindful of the costs to travel to the tournament, have also been keen to offer lifts to supporters from across the globe. Fans from Colombia, Ghana, DR Congo and Argentina are among those to have already nabbed a ride in the taxi. "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. I like that community aspect for football kind of brings together."
The pair are no strangers to epic journeys. In the final months of 2025, they drove a three-wheeled Reliant Robin from London to Cape Town — a four-month, 14,000-mile expedition through 22 countries that made them the first people to drive the length of the continent in a three-wheeler. "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 explained. "[It's] an excuse to [watch] football at the world's biggest sporting tournament [and also visit] the stadiums. In terms of a road trip, it's the thing of dreams."
But as with their drive through Africa, the expedition across Canada, Mexico and the United States has been far from smooth driving. Their black cab, affectionately named 'Abby the Cabby', has already faced challenges — though the pair remain determined to reach all 16 stadiums before the final whistle.