New World Cup 2026 fear emerges as damning hotel statistics revealed

A new fear has emerged ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is set to get underway in less than a month's time, with Mexico and South Africa opening the competition on June 11 at the Mexico City Stadium.

Recently released statistics reveal that a significant number of hotel rooms remain empty and unbooked ahead of the tournament, sparking concerns about dwindling interest in the summer event.

Host cities report lull in hotel bookings

Several of the cities set to host World Cup fixtures have reported a lull in hotel bookings, with numerous even experiencing a drop in bookings compared to this time last year.

Revealed date shows that Vancouver, Canada, has just 39% of hotel rooms booked for gamedays, a decrease from 53% this time last year.

Elsewhere, Boston, Massachusetts, has experienced a decline of 12% to just 32% occupancy, while just 31% of hotel rooms have been booked on the day of Brazil's meeting with Morocco on June 13 in New York City – fuelling fears of the declining interest in the tournament.

The decrease in occupancy has largely been attributed to the widely-criticised prices surrounding the World Cup, with the cost of tickets, transport and hotel rooms all reaching eye-watering figures.

Due to the high prices, matchday tickets remain available – with the price of available tickets starting to enter freefall with the tournament just weeks away – while transport bosses in New Jersey have already had to slash train and bus fares after controversially raising prices ahead of the competition.

FGG Says: Reminder that fans are most important

The 2026 World Cup has been consistently criticised for the considerable price increases compared to past competitions, with FIFA and other governing bodies accused of pricing out the fans that make the tournament so special.

However, these latest developments, which appear to show a decline in interest just weeks ahead of the tournament, will hopefully serve as a reminder that the fans are the most important factor in making the World Cup the most popular and celebrated sporting event around the globe.