With less than a month until the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, about 80% of hotels in U.S. host cities say reservations are running below expectations, raising concerns that the tournament’s anticipated tourism boom may have been overstated.
According to a report released Monday by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), more than 200 hotels across 11 U.S. host cities—including New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Kansas City—reported weaker-than-expected booking performance.
Some hotels claimed FIFA artificially inflated expectations for World Cup demand by reserving excessive numbers of hotel rooms in advance.
FIFA canceled thousands of room reservations across all 16 World Cup host cities in March, saying the move was intended to adjust to changing demand conditions.
A FIFA spokesperson pushed back on criticism, saying room releases were conducted according to contractual agreements with hotel partners and are standard practice for events of this scale.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said during a panel discussion at the Milken Global Conference in Beverly Hills on May 5 that, considering attendance and viewership, the World Cup would be equivalent to holding the Super Bowl 104 consecutive times over 39 days.
Despite the hype, the AHLA report said many respondents described the World Cup as a “non-event” for their cities.
Oxford Economics also said in a report released last month that while the tournament could provide some boost to GDP growth, job gains in the leisure and hospitality sectors were likely to be temporary.
Most respondents cited weak international demand as a major concern, pointing to geopolitical tensions and visa-related issues affecting overseas travelers. Some hotels also said booking growth remained below typical summer peak-season levels.
Lisa Delpy Neirotti, director of the sports management program at George Washington University, said ticket prices and travel costs were having a greater impact on soccer fans than politics.
“Geopolitical issues are only a very small part of the problem,” she said.
The prolonged Iran conflict and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz have also sent oil prices sharply higher, driving up airfare costs.
According to analysis from Deutsche Bank, average U.S. domestic airfare jumped from $167 in late February to $414 by mid-March.
Match ticket prices have also become prohibitively expensive for many fans. Tickets for many matches now exceed $1,000, while tickets for the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19 are approaching $33,000.
