Hotel rates skyrocket for 2026 FIFA World Cup, analysis finds

A man walks past 2026 soccer World Cup signage

A man walks past signage prior to the final draw for the 2026 soccer World Cup at the Kennedy Center in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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(NewsNation) — Hotels across the United States, Canada and Mexico are raising room rates by hundreds, and in some cases thousands, of dollars per night for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to a new analysis by The Athletic.

One Mexico City hotel that costs $157 a night in late May is listed at $3,882 on the Marriott Bonvoy app for June 10 to 11 — the dates surrounding the tournament’s opening match — a staggering 2,373% increase.

Price hikes around major global events aren’t unusual. During the 2024 Paris Olympics, average room rates rose 141% year over year, according to Smith Travel Research. But the scale of the price spikes across the U.S., Canada and Mexico following the World Cup schedule release appears far larger.

Across 96 hotels analyzed, the average nightly rate for opening-match dates was $1,013, compared with $293 just 21 days earlier — an average increase of 328%.

In the U.S., the biggest percentage jumps were found in:

  • Houston: +457%
  • Kansas City: +364%
  • Atlanta: +344%
  • San Francisco Bay Area (near Levi’s Stadium/San Jose): +342%

Surges also appeared in New Jersey around MetLife Stadium, which will host Brazil’s opening group-stage match against Morocco on June 13. Prices climb even higher for a two-night stay surrounding the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on July 19.

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