Empty rooms and Fifa cancellations - US hotels fear World Cup washout

[BlueWavePsych]

The World Cup was supposed to provide a tourism boom for the US, but now the fear is it may never materialise.

A report, external produced by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) has found that bookings are well below expectations in almost every host city.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c9q34pxv79eo

[Renew Deal]

1. Kansas City is interesting

It's probably the hardest to reach from that list. There are two games with teams that travel well. Argentina and Netherlands. For Ecuador, I could see why people wouldn't want to travel.

June 16 (8:00 PM CT): Group Stage - Argentina vs. Algeria
June 20 (7:00 PM CT): Group Stage - Ecuador vs. Curaçao
June 25 (6:00 PM CT): Group Stage - Tunisia vs. Netherlands
June 27 (9:00 PM CT): Group Stage - Algeria vs. Austria

[indusurb]

33. I live relatively near KC

There is massive road construction across the state, not just I70 but other major roads to KC. So locals aren't traveling much. Ticket prices, and the way ticket sales in general were handled were a nightmare. Register for a drawing with no guarantee of a ticket, and no guarantee where your seat was, more than a pain. Plus every hotel and Air B&B within a hundred mile radius immediately jacked rates through the roof. It's not happening.

My wife and I were wanting to go when the KC games were first announced, but then came the construction, ticket and hotel prices, and we decided to punt. Sadly we're going to punt the LA Olympics, but that's because it's going to be the Trump Olympics, and we're not going to pay to support that shitshow.

[malaise]

2. This is being discussed across the planet

Lots of folks are boycotting

[Renew Deal]

3. Understandibly

Hostile and belligerent global policies, especially around tariffs but also Greenland and Cuba, high costs due to a war of choice, police abuse (ICE), racial profiling (ICE), forced detentions and deportations related to immigration/visa issues (ICE), surveillance, and much more. It is not a good time for the US to be hosting the world cup.

[malaise]

4. You nailed it

Rec

[slightlv]

26. Not only did you nail it with all the governmental misuse of power...

but if I were from a foreign country, I'd fear coming here simply because of the populace and all the guns. We're a tremendously violent country with savage people... at least, that's what I'd be thinking if I were from another country. This place is simply too dangerous to travel to and within. If we're not on any of those "don't travel" warning lists, it's got to be because someone greased some wheels someplace. I remember getting these lists when I worked at the DoD. America should be at the top of the list, IMO. I live here, and even I don't feel anywhere near safe.

[bdamomma]

35. We are not

the "traveling destination".

[dem4decades]

5. How about the rooms in Canada and Mexico? You know, the countries without Trump.

[Disaffected]

8. Not great here as well.

Too much scandal and money involved to get Joe Public interested. Soccer is not all that big in Canada anyhow.

[TheRickles]

16. Maybe so, but what about Mexico?

[Disaffected]

34. I dunno, never been there.

Have had some great Mexican food though!

[Wiz Imp]

19. Toronto has not seen a surge in hotel bookings.

https://www.npr.org/2026/05/04/nx-s1-5810626/world-cup-hotels-tourism-bookings-visitors

Hotel industry and tourism groups in Toronto are optimistic that FIFA World Cup matches will bring many people to the city and boost the local economy despite a lack of surge in hotel bookings and high ticket prices.

President and CEO of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association Sara Anghel said the soccer tournament will definitely have a positive economic impact, even after FIFA cancelled thousands of hotel room bookings in Toronto, Vancouver and other host cities.

"We've never had the opportunity to host something of this magnitude," she said in an interview. "It's basically six Super Bowls in the city over the span of less than a month."

Destination Toronto's vice-president of destination development Kelly Jackson said hotels are tracking to see an occupancy rate of around 80 per cent in June and July, which is similar to those months in previous years.

[Wiz Imp]

20. Majority of unsold game tickets are in the US.

https://www.newsweek.com/map-world-cup-host-cities-tickets-available-11981531

Atlanta currently tops the list with 5,414 tickets still available across group-stage matches, followed by Philadelphia (4,402), Los Angeles (4,230) and the San Francisco Bay Area (4,217).

Mexico City currently has just 11 tickets remaining across tracked fixtures, while Monterrey has only five. Even Guadalajara—Mexico’s loosest market—remains significantly tighter than most U.S. host cities.

Several matches in Mexico were showing single-digit ticket availability, with some games listing only one or two seats remaining.

Tickets Available By City
Atlanta — 5,414
Philadelphia — 4,402
Los Angeles — 4,230
San Francisco — 4,217
Houston — 3,637
Toronto — 3,407
Seattle — 3,291
Vancouver — 3,282
Boston — 1,641
Kansas City — 1,364
New York/New Jersey — 596
Guadalajara — 520
Miami — 489
Dallas — 324
Mexico City — 11
Monterrey — 5

[TheRickles]

37. But FIFA has released 40% of the hotel bookings for Mexico City

Last edited Thu May 28, 2026, 08:30 AM - Edit history (1)

https://www.facebook.com/gary.africa/posts/-fifa-cancels-40-of-hotel-reservations-for-world-cup-in-mexico-citywith-only-99-/1589709205846251/

[RussBLib]

39. That's not many unsold tickets

… in a modest-sized arena that could seat 20,000 or more. One thing is for sure: I won’t be watching much, if any, and I sure AF won’t be traveling to any venue.

https://russblib.blogspot.com/?m=1

[Wiz Imp]

44. I believe those numbers are very misleading.

It was announced earlier this week that only 35-50% of approximately 700,000 tickets available for Dallas stadium have been sold. https://www.facebook.com/reel/957271046927428

I think part of it is tons of ticketrs were bought by ticket brokers and large numbers of those have not been sold to actual attendees.
https://www.reddit.com/r/WorldCup2026Tickets/comments/1thrta0/speaking_to_world_cup_2026_ticket_brokers_i_had/

"Lots of others “are going to come back to earth”, he predicts. Jordan against Austria, the first group game for both teams on June 16 at 70,000-seat Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, is one example. “I’m pretty confident there’s going to be at least 30,000 seats empty for that match,” he adds. It is after the group stage that ticket prices will “shoot up”, in his view."

[MichMan]

52. The tickets are still sold by the venue regardless of whom bought them.

Last edited Mon May 25, 2026, 10:35 AM - Edit history (1)

I'm not going to cry any tears if a bunch of gouging ticket broker vultures, who thought they were going to score a big payday, get stuck with tickets that no one wants

[Skittles]

6. who knew a government behaving like fascists could be a bad thing

[BWdem4life]

50. Pretty fine line between behaving like a fascist and being one.

I'd say it's been crossed. By more than a few..

[Disaffected]

7. Not surprising, folks don't want to get tossed

Last edited Sun May 24, 2026, 07:25 PM - Edit history (1)

into the ICE Gulag. And, spend absurd amounts on seats and accomodation.

Besides, soccer is a basically boring game anyhow...

[paleotn]

11. Hockey. Now there's a sport!

Someone queue the Hansen brothers.

[Disaffected]

30. YES!

[cab67]

15. I've listed ways to improve soccer in the past.

Maybe not here, though:

1. Bind the players arms to their sides. If they can't use their hands, keep them out of the way.

2. If they want to call it football, fine - no shoes. Or be honest and call it shoeball.

3. (Ripping off an idea George Carlin suggested to improve basketball) - a goal is worth more points if it goes in after bouncing off an opposing player's head.

4. Use golf courses - not flat surfaces.

5. Why fill the ball with air? Why not water?

just some ideas.

[La Urraca]

27. Boring 😳❗️

O noooooo...
Maybe because my heart is Mexican, but I love soccer. Have you seen the American women's team play? They will get you out of your chair and on your feet. Screaming 🤩

[Disaffected]

31. Meh,

a lot of the goals are entertaining and some are awesome but, in between, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Screaming to turn off the TV?

[GenThePerservering]

48. If you've ever watched a football game in a pub

where everyone actually knows what's going on, it's nonstop shouting and cheering.

[MichMan]

53. The OP is about people attending games in person, not sitting in a dark pub watching TV

[AverageOldGuy]

9. Are they boycotting . . .

. . . all FIFA, or, just the US games?

What % of the games are in the US?

I don't follow soccer/football closely at all, though I likely will follow the US team as well as the semis and finals.

[Wiz Imp]

18. By my count, 78 of the 104 total games are in the US. That's exactly 75%.

13 in Mexico, 13 in Canada. But all quarterfinal, semifinal and championship games are in the US.

[IronLionZion]

10. America is back baby! MAGA!

[ShazzieB]

12. This does not surprise me one bit.

I can't imagine why anyone would want to travel here from another country for ANY reason right now. It's obviously not safe.

[cab67]

14. was going to say this.

Why does this surprise anyone? No one wants to come here. I suppose the families of the players might come along, but why would the average fan do so?

[MichMan]

54. I can't understand why people wouldn't want to pay exorbitant prices for tickets and hotel rooms

to watch matchups like Belgium vs Egypt, or Jordan vs. Austria in person, instead of just turning on the TV.

While there are always some well off diehards from other countries who will travel the world to watch their team, the venues had to expect that the vast majority of ticket buyers would be domestic, and most likely local. Even with the popularity of youth soccer, and despite all efforts to make it sound cool, major soccer is a niche sport that has little interest to the vast majority of US sports fans.

[orangecrush]

13. Go figure

[barbtries]

17. if I didn't live here,

i wouldn't come here.
we're well on the way to being a failed nation

[bdamomma]

36. We

are the only ones to change that perception of being a "failed nation" . Who wants to be a fascist oligarchical country???? Not me.

[jmowreader]

21. There are two reasons for this

First is Trump.

The other? Have you seen what World Cup tickets cost?

June 13 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, Brazil vs Morocco, section 343: $1716. The December 13 game between the New York Jets and the Denver Broncos, in the same stadium, is $643 for a seat in Section 139, which is field level.
June 14 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Germany vs Curacao, section 652 (which is not only so far from the field you need a telescope to see the players, it's off the corner of the field so you get a real strange view of the game): $445. The October 25 game between the Houston Texans and New York Giants, in the same stadium, is $408.60 in Section 126.
June 14 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philly, Cote d'Ivoire vs Ecuador, section 243: $990. You can watch the Eagles beat the Carolina Panthers on October 18 in the same section for $366.
June 15 at Lumen Field in Seattle, Belgium vs Egypt, section 313 (top deck, aligned with what would be an end zone if this was a Seahawks game): $979. Watch the Seahawks play the Chicago Bears on November 2 at field level for $861.75.

Please understand: the soccer games I listed are very early-stage games. SeatGeek is listing a ticket in Section 143 for the World Cup Final (which is aligned with one of the goals) for - this isn't a misprint - $47,468 plus fees - and they don't have even one ticket in the whole arena that's under $9000. By comparison, you could buy single-game tickets for every single Seattle Seahawks game in the 2026 regular season, plus airfare and hotels for away games, for less money than the cheap World Cup Final seats cost. Prices for the postseason aren't out yet but you could probably go to every game INCLUDING THE SUPER BOWL if the Seahawks win the NFC Championship for less money than just watching the World Cup Final at field level. I don't know about y'all but I'd hell of a lot rather watch an entire football season than one soccer game.

So...they're having a hard time at this because Trump is a dictator and no one can afford to go to the games in the first place.

[Disaffected]

32. Bizarre.

About the last time I paid to see a (football) game was when I was a kid and the entrance fee was a silver collection (give a nickel or more and you're in).

[awesomerwb1]

46. Yep. Insane prices

All the prices you mentioned don't include parking fees. Some parking fees are $150 plus. For parking! Quarterfinals etc are $250+ I don't even want to think about the food prices.

FIFA is one of the most corrupt institutions in the world. I detest Infantino.

[nuxvomica]

22. Britbox has an hilarious series on planning the World Cup

It's fictional and staged as a documentary narrated by David Tennant, focusing on Ian Fletcher (Hugh Bonneville) who is hired as "Director of Integrity", a joke all by itself considering FIFA's history. It's a sequel to W1A (Ian at the BBC) and Twenty Twelve (Ian planning the London Olympics).

That aside, FIFA has a bad reputation to begin with but the whole peace-prize crap dug them in deeper.

[IronLionZion]

40. I have BritBox and will have to check it out. Thanks!

[Joinfortmill]

23. No surprise.

[pfitz59]

24. I'd say Trump fucking the world over is main reason

No sane person wants to visit the US and be treated like shit at the border or airport. I live in Seattle and have watched the city dump a ton of money into FIFA preps. They'll be lucky to break even.

[Permanut]

25. Just an idea to boost ticket sales..

I'm thinking a giveaway with each ticket - a miniature replica of the FIFA Peace Prize.

[jmowreader]

43. Something that might actually work better

Half your money back with every ticket.

[IcyPeas]

28. Most of them are sanctuary cities. Trump threatened to divert planes

from landing in sanctuary cities by removing the Customs officers from those airports. It was Markwayne Mullin's idea but that Duffy guy said it would be a bad idea.

[edhopper]

29. Don't know about other cities

but here in New York, they jacked up the price of hotel rooms.

[MurrayDelph]

42. in Los Angeles, too

I have personal business that will bring me to LA the two weeks before Labor Day. Hotel rooms near LAX that were $150 (or less) in February are now listed as over $300.

[Initech]

38. You just had to go elect the fucking asshole a second time.

He legitimately ruins everything. But FIFA made it known where they stand when they gave him that bullshit peace prize.

[RussBLib]

41. Where they stand?

More like, where they kneel.

https://russblib.blogspot.com/?m=1

[struggle4progress]

45. Gosh! It's almost as if soccer fans around the world had decided not to visit the USA

from some fear that they might spend months eating mouldy soda crackers off a urine-soaked mattress in a GESTAPO basement, or might be deported to some wretched place where they didn't know anybody and couldn't speak the language, or might be fatally gunned down from behind for trying to help a woman up from the sidewalk

[ShazzieB]

47. I wonder who Trump will decide to blame the poor turnout on.

And how many times he will post on Lies Social about it!

He's full of (bad) surprises these days, but also pathetically predictable.

[BWdem4life]

51. The liberal cities of course. nt

[GenThePerservering]

49. I'm north of Seattle and this is a soccer loving area

and I've heard very little about FIFA. Heck, back when the Goodwill Games were here that's ALL we heard about!

[Reader Rabbit]

55. Most of my Portland friends are all attending games in Vancouver.

We consider ourselves Soccer City USA, but not a single footy-loving friend is attending a game in the U.S. They're either going to (mostly) Canada or (less likely) Mexico for games.

I mean, it could be the lure of delicious poutine, but...