FIFA cancels 2,000 Philadelphia hotel bookings ahead of 2026 World Cup

The FIFA logo is pictured on the occasion the FIFA Council meeting at the Home of FIFA in Zurich, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan.

10. 1
11. 20
12. 1
13. FIFA will expand the World Cup to 48 teams, adding 16 extra nations to the 2026 tournament which is likely to be held in North America.

President Gianni Infantino's favored plan — for 16 three-team groups with the top two advancing to a round of 32 — was unanimously approved Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2017 by the FIFA Council. (Ennio Leanza/Keystone via AP)

Football, International News, Latest News, Sports

March 21, 2026

FIFA cancels 2,000 Philadelphia hotel bookings ahead of 2026 World Cup

KINGSTON, Jamaica — FIFA has cancelled around 2,000 hotel room reservations in Philadelphia ahead of the 2026 World Cup, just months before the tournament is due to take place across the United States (US), Canada and Mexico.

According to 10 Philadelphia, Ed Grose, chief executive of the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association, said the organisation had originally booked about 10,000 rooms for the event but has since reduced that number. FIFA did not provide specific reasons for the cancellations and was not required to do so.

Philadelphia is one of the host cities for the tournament, which will run from 11 June to 19 July 2026. The city is set to host six matches, including fixtures on 14 June (Ivory Coast v Ecuador), 19 June (Brazil v Haiti), 22 June (France v an opponent yet to be determined), 25 June (Curaçao v Ivory Coast), 27 June (Croatia v Ghana), and 4 July (teams to be confirmed).

Grose noted that FIFA had a 120-day window in which to make the cancellations. He added that while the city still has hotel capacity for visitors, the release of these rooms will allow more fans travelling to Philadelphia to secure accommodation.