Airbnb rolls out $750 offer to lure new hosts ahead of FIFA World Cup

Travel rental platform Airbnb is rolling out a $750 incentive to attract new hosts in the 16 North American cities gearing up to welcome millions of visitors for the FIFA World Cup in mid-2026.

New "entire home" hosts who ‌successfully fulfill ⁠their ⁠first guest stay between now and July 31 will qualify ​for the payout under the program, Airbnb said, describing it ​as the company's largest-ever incentive for new hosts.

Last month, FIFA said it received more than 500 ​million ticket requests for the 2026 ⁠World Cup ‌during a 33-day application window.


Demand for ​lodgings ​during the FIFA World Cup, which ⁠is being co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and ​Mexico, has been skyrocketing. On match days, ​vacation rental prices are up as much as 50% from a year ago in some host cities, according to travel data firm AirDNA.

Airbnb expects hosts in the New York-New Jersey area, ‌Boston and Los Angeles to earn the most during the tournament, projecting per-host earnings ​above $5,000 in ​all three ⁠markets.

Beyond the three host nations, FIFA received most ticket applications from Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina and Colombia.

The ​World Cup could provide a much-needed boost to U.S. international inbound travel demand, which was down 5.4% through November 2025, per the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office.