Hotels across America slash summer rates as World Cup demand falls short, report says | OneFootball

U.S. hotels were expecting to be filled to bursting this summer with World Cup 2026 fans, but are now dropping their prices as geopolitics and financial concerns convince some soccer fans to stay home.

Room rates for game days in several host cities — including Dallas, Miami, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Atlanta — have fallen by about a third from their peak earlier this year, according to the Financial Times, citing data from Lighthouse Intelligence.

Vijay Dandapani, president of the Hotel Association of New York City, told the FT that he could “categorically say we haven’t seen much of a meaningful boost yet . . . It’s possible we will get some more demand, but at this point it certainly will not be the cornucopia that FIFA was promising.”

In 2024, Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, told North American host cities that they could expect to see "hundreds of thousands of guests" visiting for the games.

FIFA has also cancelled the reservations for thousands of hotel rooms originally reserved for this year's World Cup events in Philadelphia, Dallas, Mexico City, and Vancouver.

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Prices at hotels across the U.S. for the World Cup 2026 period have fallen to about a third of their peak prices, suggesting there's less demand for rooms for the upcoming tournament

Approximately 2,000 hotel rooms have already been cancelled by FIFA at hotels in the city, according to the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association.

The group had previously blocked off approximately 10,000 rooms for the tournament.

The Philadelphia cancellations followed an announcement in early March that FIFA cancelled 40 percent of its hotel rooms in Mexico City, according to El Financiero.

In early April, FIFA cancelled some hotel block reservations in Dallas and Arlington, Texas. Arlington is hosting nine matches, the most of any host city in 2026, according to KERA.

Bob Heere, a professor of sports management at the University of North Texas, told KERA that domestic fans will still likely sell out the Texas matches, but added that anti-American sentiment caused by President Donald Trump's war in Iran and global trade war may keep some international visitors at home.

"The policies of the American government in recent years have sent a clear signal to the rest of the world," Heere told the outlet. "And many of them are concerned about coming to the United States."

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Return tickets from Penn Station to MetLife Stadium could cost travelers more than $100 during the World Cup games (Getty)

Lior Sekler, chief commercial officer at hotel operator HRI Hospitality, spoke to the FT and shared a similar sentiment, noting that "obviously, people’s desire to come to the United States right now is down."

Another factor likely discouraging international travelers is ticket prices. U.S. fans are likely willing to pay FIFA's ticket prices, as they don't have to factor international travel and hotel stays into their budgeting.

When FIFA announced its prices in December, tickets ranged from $140 for a handful of first-round matches to some as high as $2,735 for the U.S. opening match against Paraguay, according to NPR. That match will be held in Los Angeles.

Prices for later rounds are even more expensive. FIFA is charging $4,165 for the cheapest tickets for the final in New Jersey. The most expensive tickets will cost $8,680.

FIFA told KERA that it booked the rooms first for its operations staff and media, and added that it adjusts its reservations as the number of attendees solidifies.

"These rooms were set aside for FIFA staff, media organizations, and tournament operational stakeholders," a spokesperson for FIFA told the broadcaster. "As attendance numbers become more concrete closer to the start of matches, FIFA adjusts hotel room bookings accordingly."

The Independent has requested comment from FIFA.