FIFA is facing fresh concerns ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 as hotels across several host cities continue to report weak booking numbers. Organisers expected the tournament to become one of the biggest sporting events in North America, but recent data has raised doubts over fan turnout.
Property analytics company CoStar reported that many hotels in host cities are receiving fewer bookings compared to the same period last year. Vancouver has seen one of the sharpest declines. Hotel occupancy for World Cup match dates currently stands at 39 percent, down from 53 percent in 2025.
Boston is also struggling ahead of the June 16 match between Norway and Iraq. Hotels in the city have reported occupancy of only 32 percent.
Expanded format affects travel plans
The new 48-team format appears to be one of the main reasons behind the slowdown. The 2026 tournament will feature 104 matches across 16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Because the matches are spread across many locations, international fans may avoid long and expensive trips between cities. Many supporters could choose to attend only one or two matches instead of travelling throughout the tournament.
Hotels report slower demand
The slowdown is not limited to a few cities. A CoStar survey found that nearly 80 percent of hotel operators across 11 major host markets said bookings remain below expectations.
Hotels in New York, Miami, Seattle, and Philadelphia are all seeing weaker demand. Around two-thirds of hotel operators in New York City reported lower-than-expected bookings.
Seattle and Philadelphia are also facing problems. Nearly 80 percent of hotels in both cities reported weaker bookings compared to a normal summer season.
Even major matches have failed to create strong demand. Brazil’s June 13 match against Morocco currently has hotel occupancy near 31 percent, compared to 43 percent last year.
Visa delays and rising costs hurt tourism
Industry experts believe several issues are reducing travel demand. Rising airfare, expensive accommodation, visa delays, and political tensions have discouraged many international supporters from travelling.
Some hotel owners also claimed that FIFA canceled large room blocks that had earlier been reserved for the tournament.
Trump criticises ticket prices
Donald Trump recently questioned the high prices of World Cup tickets. Speaking to the New York Post, Trump reacted after learning that tickets for the United States men’s national team opener against Paraguay in Los Angeles were close to $1,000.
“I did not know that number,” Trump said.
“I would certainly like to be there, but I wouldn’t pay it either, to be honest with you.”
Trump also said he would feel disappointed if ordinary supporters could not afford tickets. “If people from Queens and Brooklyn and all of the people that love Donald Trump can’t go, I would be disappointed,” he added.
Infantino defends FIFA pricing
Gianni Infantino defended FIFA’s ticket pricing during a conference appearance. He argued that sports events in the United States are generally expensive.
However, many fans on social media quickly disagreed and pointed to cheaper ticket prices for baseball and basketball games.
FIFA earlier claimed that fans made around 500 million ticket requests for the tournament. Still, resale ticket prices have started falling as more tickets continue appearing online before kickoff.
The falling hotel bookings and criticism over ticket prices have now increased pressure on FIFA ahead of the 2026 World Cup.