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The financial potential of the world's biggest soccer event is facing serious questions as hotels in North America report higher-than-expected vacancy rates. Despite only three weeks remaining until the tournament officially kicks off, market data from real estate analytics firm CoStar paints a bleak picture of growth.
The occupancy rate is lower than average.
Currently, hotel occupancy rates in many of the cities hosting the 2026 World Cup are significantly lower than the same period last year. This is a surprising fact for travel operators, as this year's finals are the first in history to expand to 48 participating teams with a total of 104 matches spread across 16 cities in three co-hosting countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
While major centers like Mexico City, Monterrey, Dallas, and San Francisco are seeing positive booking signals, many other key cities are experiencing an alarming freeze in demand.
Vancouver (Canada) is one of the North American cities that will host the 2026 World Cup.
In Vancouver, Canada, the average occupancy rate on match days is currently only 39%, a sharp drop from 53% during the same period last year. Similarly, in Boston, USA – where the Norway vs. Iraq match is scheduled for June 16th – the occupancy rate is a mere 32%, significantly lower than the 44% recorded the previous year.
Even classic matches that attract major media attention, such as the Brazil-Morocco game in New Jersey (USA), failed to generate a financial boost for the accommodation sector in the New York City suburbs. As of June 13th, occupancy rates in the area remained at only 31%, a significant drop from 43% last year.
Round-trip bus fares for fans traveling between New York and New Jersey have even been reduced by up to 75% in an attempt to stimulate demand, but this hasn't yielded significant results. An analysis by the Hotel and Lodging Association of America suggests the hotel industry may have overestimated the willingness of international fans to spend heavily when traveling to North America to watch the tournament.
Surveys conducted among hotel management representatives in 11 official host cities, including major tourist destinations like New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Seattle, unanimously confirmed that actual bookings are significantly lower than initial forecasts. Approximately two-thirds of accommodation operators in New York City reported revenue falling short of expectations, while nearly 80% of hotels in Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle indicated that current booking demand is even lower than the average for the annual summer travel season.
Visa barriers and concerns about global political instability are believed to be the reasons for the decline in tourist numbers.
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The core reason behind this crisis of declining international tourism has been identified as a series of systemic barriers. Experts assert that stricter visa procedures for entry into the US and Canada, coupled with deep concerns about the global political situation, are directly preventing foreign fans from planning trips.
Only about 25-30% of the markets that recorded growth in accommodation thanks to the tournament were mainly cities that already possessed strong tourism potential or were chosen as the official training camps for major football teams.
Experts predict that the significant drop in audience numbers during the qualifying rounds can only recover from July when the World Cup enters the knockout stages. Group stage matches, featuring many smaller teams making their first appearance in the finals, lack a large, established fan base, making it difficult to generate mass tourism to the host country. Increasing the number of matches to over 100 also disperses the demand for accommodation and spending among fans.
MetLife Stadium (New Jersey, USA) will host the 2026 World Cup final on July 19th.
Furthermore, the tournament is taking place against a backdrop of significant global economic challenges, including soaring airfares, inflationary pressures, and rising living costs. Global armed conflicts and political tensions are driving up oil prices. The fact that the tournament is being held across three large countries also makes travel for fans more complicated and expensive. Increased transportation costs could also discourage travelers from making last-minute travel decisions.
Besides accommodation and travel costs, the World Football Federation's (FIFA) match ticket pricing policy is also facing intense criticism. The excessively high ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup are considered beyond the affordability of most ordinary fans. For example, the price exceeded $1,000 for a ticket to the opening match between the US national team and Paraguay in Los Angeles.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended this flexible pricing structure, citing the fact that the resale market for tickets to the final on July 19th at MetLife Stadium is being driven to insane prices, with some places offering tickets for over $2 million. The FIFA leader also confirmed that the average ticket price for the final is currently approaching $13,000, a dramatic increase from the approximately $1,600 of the 2022 World Cup.
