FIFA World Cup 2026™ travel trends, revealed

As excitement for FIFA World Cup 2026™ builds, travel planning is already in full swing—with demand surging for early matches featuring legendary matchups and underdog face-offs. Airbnb is sharing insights into World Cup travel patterns from guest demographics, to the emergence of ‘gateway’ travel, where fans seize the opportunity to explore beyond match venues and discover hidden gems across the host countries. 

Matches driving the most demand

Overall, guests from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada are driving the most searches for stays surrounding the match dates¹. Below are some of the matches that have driven the most demand for stays on Airbnb, as well as the countries driving the most searches for trips during the tournament:

Families and groups drive early travel demand 

Our data reveals that the World Cup is drawing families and groups from around the world to participate in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. In fact, families and groups account for more than half of World Cup trips, to date⁴.

• Among families booking for the World Cup, Los Angeles is the most popular host city they are traveling to, with San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Miami, and Kansas City also seeing high demand⁵. 
• Two-night stays are most common among this group, representing nearly 30% of bookings, followed by four-to-five-night stays (over 20%)⁶. 
• The largest number of family bookings are coming from travelers based in Chicago, Arlington, VA, and Los Angeles, showing strong interest from major US cities⁷.  
• Many families are choosing larger, more affordable homes, with approximately 75% of family bookings being for two-and three-bedroom listings⁸.

Gen Z fans are traveling the distance, together 

The tournament is proving especially popular with younger travelers. A closer look at their travel patterns reveals a strong interest from international Gen Z guests, and a preference to experience the World Cup together in groups:

• Gen Z guests account for more than 15% of bookings, with nearly half traveling in groups, reflecting the social nature of World Cup travel⁹. 
• Los Angeles, Miami, and New York rank highest among Gen Z travelers, of which over 40% have booked trips lasting three-to-five nights¹⁰.  
• International interest is also notable, with London and Glasgow emerging as leading origin cities for Gen Z guests, followed by Tokyo and Los Angeles¹¹. 

Guests embrace gateway travel to explore destinations beyond the tournament

Many travelers are using the World Cup tournament as a launching pad for further travel in host countries, especially those coming from farther afield. In fact, non-US travelers visiting during the World Cup account for 70 percent of gateway travel resulting from the tournament¹², and are driving other interesting trends:

• Non-US guests are visiting more destinations during their World Cup trips than US guests, and are also staying an average of three nights longer¹³.
• Latin and South American travelers are staying longer, 16 nights, on average, followed by travelers from Europe (14 nights), Asia Pacific (13 nights) and the US and Canada (10 nights)¹⁴.
• Travelers from Argentina are taking the longest trips of any country, while travelers from Germany are visiting the most destinations of any country, during their trips¹⁵.

Affordable stays still available near the action

As an Official FIFA World Cup 2026™ Supporter, Airbnb is helping host city residents earn additional income by listing their space  during the World Cup. The beauty of Airbnb is the diversity of affordable options and value that our hosts provide.

Across host cities, a significant percentage of available listings are priced under $500  per night, and early guest booking trends reflect the preference for affordable listings under this price point as well¹⁶. We’re also seeing that a large share of available two-or-more bedroom listings are less than $500/night¹⁷. These stays offer more space and better value for fans and families who want to stay together.

To inspire trip planning, we have identified some Guest Favorite stays within easy reach of the official stadiums and under $500 per night¹⁸—from family-friendly spacious stays, to design-forward city lofts, to relaxing private retreats—offering a first look at where travelers want to stay during one of the world’s biggest sporting events.

These unique homes reflect travelers’ rising demand for local experiences while seeing their favorite teams play on the world stage. According to a recent Deloitte study¹⁹, Airbnb guests are projected to generate $3.6 billion for host city economies during the tournament, underscoring the positive impact of home sharing for communities.