The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being co‑hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada and will be played in 16 host cities across the three countries. Multiple outlets confirmed that high ticket prices have discouraged fans from attending the event, and hotels have experienced low occupancy as a result.

France24 reported that the 2026 tournament is the biggest World Cup in history. Dawn noted that flight bookings have slumped as ticket prices have increased, and that the anticipated boost to travel and tourism had not materialised before kickoff.

In the United States, France24 said Houston expects to attract about 500,000 visitors and generate an economic windfall of $1.5 billion, with seven World Cup matches scheduled to be played in the city.

According to itep.org, Missouri will not charge sales tax on World Cup tickets for matches played in Kansas City. The state estimates a loss of about $1.9 million in revenue per World Cup game and projects that over $11 million in state and local revenue could be lost due to the matches, which include six games scheduled at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium.

Overall, the combination of expensive tickets, reduced travel bookings and lower-than‑expected tourism activity has led to financial concerns for host cities and states ahead of the tournament’s start.