Eight years after FIFA selected the United States, Mexico, and Canada as hosts, the 2026 World Cup is here.
The global soccer tournament opened Thursday afternoon with Mexico facing South Africa in Mexico City. More than 100 matches will follow, culminating in a July 19 final in New Jersey.
With fans flying across North America’s 16 host cities, the tournament is shaping up to be the most carbon-heavy World Cup yet, with the potential to generate up to 9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, according to reporting from my colleague Darin Graham.
It’s still not clear how many international tourists will be pouring into the U.S. on those flights. While the tournament is expected to deliver a lift, data suggest demand is so far running below expectations, particularly from the high-spending international crowd. Operators are now banking on last-minute bookings as the tournament progresses and fans learn which teams will be playing in knockout rounds, but just how big that surge turns out to be will depend on factors outside their control like ticket costs and how far certain teams make it in the tournament.
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Hotels Are Hoping For a Last-Minute World Cup Surge. Will It Come?
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Operators are banking spur-of-the-moment travel from soccer fans who want to see their favorite teams play in the World Cup. Data suggests there are reasons to be optimistic, but it’s still not clear how big of a surge last-minute bookings will bring.
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