Texas Businesses Worry As World Cup Attendance Expectations Fade

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to bring 104 soccer matches to North America this summer. The tournament features 48 national teams competing for the trophy over several weeks.

In the state of Texas, matches will be played in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and Houston. With AT&T Stadium in Arlington and NRG Stadium in Houston being the designated venues for the state's games.

Texas Host City Locations And Growing Concerns

The Dallas metroplex will host nine matches, while Houston hosts seven contests. These games include knockout rounds that were expected to draw global interest...but the lack of international bookings is creating concerns for local planners.

Early forecasts promised a multi-billion dollar economic impact for host cities. Planners estimated that visitors would fill hotel rooms and spend money at local establishments...but the data shows that current hotel occupancy is lower than these projections. Which is starting to sound the alarms for many.

World Cup Economic Hype Versus Reality

The anticipated surge in tourism has not occurred in Dallas or Houston. Hotels that expected to be sold out are still advertising availability just weeks before the start of the event. The financial reality for these cities is shifting as travel demand stays low.

FIFA themselves have been cancelling tens of thousands of rooms that they had reserved. The organization behind the whole tournament is aware of the issue, and they're taking actions to protect themselves.

According to the Financial Times, Chief Commercial Officer at HRI Lior Sekler blamed the Trump administration in an interview. Saying that fans are losing desire to travel to America due to America's attacks on Iran and immigration crackdown.

Panicking local businesses invested in staff and supplies based on the promise of capacity crowds. These entities are now facing a potential loss as international visitors skip the trip to Texas. The projected economic windfall is currently failing to materialize.

Factors Keeping International Fans Away From Texas

High costs of airfare due to the surging fuel costs created by the US's attacks in Iran are one element keeping fans from coming to America for the games. Additionally, lengthy visa processing times under America's more strict foreign travel policies have prevented many supporters from securing travel documents. Safety warnings regarding the United States and the government's recent treatment, and killing, of citizens are also impacting the decision to visit.

Anti-US sentiment and organized boycotts from international fan groups are contributing to the decline in interest.

These factors combined have led to a shortfall in the expected global audience.