By Andrew Stanton0ShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberSee more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.Ahead of the World Cup, Canada and Mexico are outpacing the United States for hotel bookings in cities hosting matches.
The World Cup is being held in 16 cities across the three countries in June and July, presenting a potential boon to the hospitality sector. But new data shared with Newsweek by CoStar suggest hotels in the United States are not reaping the same benefits as those in Canada or Mexico. The data follows a report in May indicating that visa concerns have contributed to suppressed demand.
World Cup Hotel Bookings: Mexico, Canada and US Compared
The CoStar data analyzes hotel bookings in 14 of the 16 cities where World Cup matches will be held. It excluded data from Kansas City and Philadelphia. The data is for the day of each match.
Read More on NewsCities from Mexico and Canada take the top four spots for the average booking percentage for each match day, while San Francisco has the highest average for any city in the United States. Here is a ranking of which cities have the highest booking rate:
- Guadalajara
- Monterrey
- Vancouver
- Toronto
- Mexico City
- New York City
- Boston
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Miami
- Los Angeles
- Dallas
- Houston
- Atlanta
Some cities, according to the data, have seen a lower booking percentage in 2026 compared to the same date in 2025. For instance, Los Angeles has a 23.6 percent booking rate on July 10, compared to a 24 percent booking rate one year earlier. Hoteliers could be holding out for last-minute bookings closer to matches.
...Visa Concerns, High Prices Limit World Cup Hotel Demand
A report from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released on May 4, which surveyed hoteliers across World Cup host cities, found that 80 percent of respondents said bookings were tracking below initial forecasts.
It found that 65 to 70 percent of respondents pointed to “visa barriers and broader geopolitical concerns” as suppressing international demand amid the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Rosanna Maietta, president and CEO of AHLA, wrote in the report that the U.S. and FIFA must “ensure a welcoming and seamless experience for international travelers.
“That means avoiding unnecessary cost increases on visas and transportation to and from the games, and discouraging local jurisdictions from adding last-minute tax hikes that hurt the games and consumers,” Maietta wrote.
The expensive ticket prices could also be playing a role—the Associated Press reported that tickets for the June 14 semifinal in Arlington, Texas, were listed from $2,705 to $11,130. Tickets for the semifinal in Atlanta the following day were priced from $2,725 to $10,635. Some tickets, however, have been available for less than $100 due to low demand.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said market rates must apply to the tickets. “You cannot go to watch in the U.S. a college game, not even speaking about a top professional game of a certain level, for less than $300,” he said in May.
FIFA has faced scrutiny over its ticket rollout, driven by its use of "dynamic pricing," which adjusts fares based on demand. In late May, New York Attorney General Letitia James and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport subpoenaed FIFA as part of a joint investigation into its World Cup ticketing system.
Data previously shared with Newsweek from travel platforms Airbnb and Booking.com showed a sharp rise in accommodation searches and bookings tied to match dates despite limited demand for hotels. Fans attending matches can also expect to pay more for their hotel rooms in match cities.
How to Watch World Cup 2026
Soccer fans can watch the World Cup on Fox, FS1, Tubi, Telemundo and Peacock, according to The Athletic.
When Is the 2026 World Cup?
The FIFA World Cup is set for June 11 to July 19.
This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
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