U.S. hoteliers know the opportunity they have this summer to boost performance with the 2026 FIFA World Cup heading through 11 American cities, but the opportunity to showcase the country could serve as a launching pad for further travel demand in the future.
But there's a lingering question on the minds of hoteliers and the American public at large: Is the U.S. ready for a showcase?
After the conclusion of the World Cup qualifier playoffs on Tuesday, the field of 48 teams is officially set. Bosnia & Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Turkey, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Iraq were the final teams to punch their tickets.
The matchups, locations and dates are also set for each group stage match. The 2026 FIFA World Cup begins on June 11 and concludes on July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
FIFA has begun the process of returning its room blocks at hotels in host markets.
At last, there is clarity. For the most part.
Iran's football federation requested to move its matches out of the United States to Mexico due to the U.S. and Israel's ongoing war with Iran. That request was denied by FIFA.
Iran is scheduled to play all three of its group stage matches in the U.S., with its first two in Los Angeles and final one in Seattle.
On March 12, U.S. President Donald Trump sent out a foreboding post on social media addressing the Middle Eastern country's participation in the tournament.
"The Iran National Soccer Team is welcome to The World Cup, but I really don't believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety," the post reads.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Tuesday that he spoke with Iranian soccer officials and that "everything is fine."
"The matches will be played where they are supposed to be, according to the draw," Infantino said. "Iran will be at the FIFA World Cup, and we're excited because they're a very, very strong team, in my opinion, right now."
International inbound travel for the World Cup on the whole has been a major concern. Some countries are on Trump's travel ban list, while others have restricted access to visas.
Among the global soccer fans who are eligible to travel to the U.S., there are fears of safety. Agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement are said to have a "key part" of World Cup security, according to Todd Lyons, director of ICE.
“We are not expecting problems, but we are preparing for possible problems,” Thiago Freitas, Brazil chief operating officer at sports agency Roc Nation, told the New Yorker. “A lot of athletes have in their families people with a profile, according to age or occupation, that often are rejected by U.S. authorities.”
Voices in the travel industry
Mark Gaber, chief operations officer, U.S. East at Marriott International, said this is the first sporting event of this size to come to the United States since the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
With the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles on the horizon — and the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup and 2034 Salt Lake City Olympics not too far behind — the 2026 FIFA World Cup presents an opportunity to market the United States to the rest of the world and serve as a blueprint for the events to come.
"FIFA is critically important for this year, but this is establishing what these types of events can be in the future," he said during the "Hosting the World: The Business of the FIFA World Cup" panel at the 2026 Hunter Conference. "We're very excited ... to ensure that we are creating an experience for all of those who can travel here and those who can watch and experience this streaming online in different countries so they can aspire to come here."
Tim Zulawski, president of AMB Sports and Entertainment in Atlanta, said "the hotel community needs to win on these major events." He views the World Cup as a global platform to highlight the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta for prospective visitors.
"Our hope is that events like the World Cup — we have a Super Bowl coming, future Final Four coming — all those events become a showcase for Georgia and Atlanta," he said.
What makes the World Cup different than sporting events like the Super Bowl or the Final Four is the duration of the tournament, said Jonathan Martin, principal and co-founder of Anfield Hotel Advisors. Some fans may select a city as their base as they travel around the U.S. following their team.
More importantly, the U.S. is trying to build up its image in light of dissipating international inbound demand over the past few years.
"We all need to get into that mindset and remember that we as an industry are also promoting the U.S. and each of our individual cities to the outside world," Martin said. "We have an opportunity to really send folks home thinking, 'Wow, it is actually a great country,' and going to visit is not as scary as they think it might be today."