© picture alliance / CHROMORANGE | Udo Herrmann
The 2026 World Cup will kick off in the US on June 11. Hotel bookings are falling far short of expectations in almost all host cities, raising doubts about the economic return of the prominent football festival.
A report by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), which represents more than 80 percent of all franchise hotels in the US, warns that the expected tourism boom may never materialize.
The AHLA is pointing the finger partly at FIFA, accusing the world football federation of booking large numbers of rooms in blocks that artificially inflated prices and demand, the BBC reports. When FIFA subsequently canceled up to 70 percent of its reservations in cities such as Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Seattle, it created a void that the market seems to be struggling to fill. FIFA rejected the accusation, stating that all released rooms were released according to contractually agreed schedules.
High costs
High ticket prices and transportation costs and the general political climate have also deterred visitors. Hotel prices in cities like Boston remain above $300 per night, far above the budget of many fans. Many football fans do make the trip to the States, but to cut expenses, they choose to stay outside city centers and look for cheaper hotels and Airbnb accommodations.
The shortfall is significant given the high expectations. A study commissioned by FIFA had predicted that the tournament would generate $17.2 billion in GDP and create 185,000 jobs in the U.S. alone. FIFA has sold more than five million tickets, but the AHLA notes that the lower number of international visitors, who tend to book longer stays and spend more, dwarfs the soccer festival's broader economic impact.
Hope for improvement in knockout phase
But there is still hope: the AHLA expects bookings to pick up in June and July and that hotels could benefit from last-minute bookings once the tournament enters the knockout phase. Airbnb, meanwhile, says the tournament is on track to become the biggest event in its history, even surpassing the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
The World Cup in the United States begins June 11, with the opening match between Mexico and South Africa at Aztec Stadium in Mexico City. The tournament ends 103 games later, with the final in New Jersey on Sunday, July 19.
Picture: © picture alliance / CHROMORANGE | Udo Herrmann