Foreign soccer fans ditch FIFA World Cup, threatening ‘$30B’ economic boom for the US
Foreign soccer fans are canceling plans to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, threatening a projected $30 billion economic boost. Despite strong ticket sales, hotel bookings in most host cities are significantly behind expectations due to visa delays, high travel costs, and concerns over U.S. immigration policies. Domestic travelers are filling some of the gap, but they spend less than international visitors, limiting the event's overall economic impact.
- ▪Nearly 80% of hotel operators in nine of the 11 U.S. host cities report bookings are well below early projections.
- ▪FIFA released about 70% of its reserved hotel rooms, contributing to a surge in available inventory and widespread cancellations.
- ▪International visitors were expected to spend $5,048 each on average, with one-third planning stays longer than two weeks across multiple cities.
- ▪A November 2025 White House meeting featured President Trump citing a $30 billion economic impact and 200,000 jobs tied to the tournament.
- ▪Only Atlanta and Miami are seeing hotel bookings meet or exceed expectations, while cities like Boston, Seattle, and Kansas City lag far behind.
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Business Foreign soccer fans ditch FIFA World Cup, threatening ‘$30B’ economic boom for the US By James Franey Published May 4, 2026, 6:51 p.m. ET Foreign soccer fans are boycotting the 2026 World Cup in droves, threatening to blunt the economic boost US hotels and host cities were counting on, an industry report warned on Monday. Nearly 80% of hotel operators in nine of the 11 American host cities said reservations are running well behind early projections: even though more than 5 million tickets have already been sold, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s US Hotel Outlook Report. FIFA canceled or released about 70% of its massive room blocks, flooding the market and triggering cancellations of up to 95% of contracted inventory in some cities.
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