In what executives believe to be a surge in anti-American sentiment, thousands of pre-booked hotel rooms for the FIFA World Cup are being canceled in US host cities. This has led to panic among hotels, which have slashed rates for the World Cup as demand falls.
The hotel industry had high hopes that the FIFA World Cup would make up for last year’s slump in travel to the US. In 2025, FIFA has projected that the World Cup would attract millions of international visitors to the US, bringing a $30.5 billion economic boost.
However, as FIFA begins to cancel tens of thousands of reserved hotel rooms in host cities, it is clear that the expected demand has not materialized. Eleven US cities are set to host matches during the FIFA World Cup, scheduled to run from June 11 through July 19.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Lior Sekler, Chief Commercial Officer at hotel group HRI Hospitality, said the Trump administration is partially to blame for the slump in bookings.
“Obviously, people’s desire to come to the United States right now is down,” said Sekler, addressing the unrest caused by President Donald Trump‘s war on Iran, as well as his hard-line crackdown on immigration.
The United States is so toxic on the world stage right now that it can’t fill hotels or sell World Cup tickets.
Let that land.
FIFA projected $30.5 billion in economic impact from millions of international visitors.
That demand never showed up.
Hotels in Atlanta, Dallas,…
— Gandalv (@Microinteracti1) April 15, 2026
Moreover, FIFA may have to ask Trump to pause Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids during the World Cup this summer, according to The Athletic.
Scott Yesner, founder of the short-term, rental and boutique hotel management company, Bespoke Stay, told The Athletic, “I’m seeing a lot of people start to panic and lower their rates.”
Meanwhile, Aran Ryan, Director of Industry Studies at the research group Tourism Economics, stated that pre-existing anti-US sentiment during the second Trump presidency has been “made worse by the Iran war.”
Football fans are hesitant to book a stay in the US for the FIFA World Cup after Trump and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28. The president gives no firm timeline as to when the war will end or explains why it was necessary in the first place.
In a touch of irony, Trump was announced the winner of a fake peace prize created by FIFA, just weeks before the Iran conflict began. In a video showing Trump receiving the award, viewers were told that the prize “recognizes an individual who has taken extraordinary action for peace, and in doing so, helped unite people across the globe.” While accepting the prize, Trump said it was “truly one of the great honors of my life.”
Trump: I want to thank Gianni and FIFA. They gave me their first peace prize. They saw that I got screwed by Norway and they said let’s give him a peace prize. pic.twitter.com/SZ6TSv4MXO
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 19, 2026
Meanwhile, it has long been Trump’s dream to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. However, despite his efforts to get the award for himself, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize went to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Trump’s hopes are that the FIFA World Cup 2026 will “generate billions of dollars of economic impact and bring hundreds of thousands of jobs to our country.”
“The President is focused on making this the greatest World Cup ever while ensuring it is the safest and most secure in history,” Ingle added.
