Australia
- Travel searches surged 160%* by Aussies to host cities after the draw was announced
- Australia ranks sixth** globally in ‘hardcore fans’ most likely to travel, above soccer powerhouses like Brazil
- Vancouver tops Aussie wish list as most searched host city
January 13, 2025, SYDNEY – Today, Expedia® released its second Fan Travel Outlook, the definitive travel guide for fans attending this year’s major soccer tournament in North America, from June 11 – July 19, 2026.
Based on Expedia traveller data, Aussie interest in travelling to host cities in the US and Canada mid-year is up 160%* after the draw was announced. Early data shows Vancouver is the most popular destination among Aussie travellers, where the national team’s first match will be held.
“The moment team draws were made, fans flocked to the Expedia app to make travel plans, with soccer-fanatic nations like England leading the front line,” said Sarah King, Expedia Travel Expert. “For Aussie fans, Vancouver is a great gateway into the tournament, and it’s just a quick direct flight or scenic road trip to Seattle for the next match.”
Hardcore Fans Heading to North America
With 48 nations taking part in this mid-year’s major soccer event, Expedia data identified the most dedicated global fans:
- Early signs indicate that Australian fans will travel to North America in droves, ranking sixth** out of all 48 teams in the ‘hardcore fans’ ranking of those fans most likely to travel to the tournament.
- Colombian fans take top spot in the most dedicated fan ranking, with travel searches up 305%4 – more than any other nation. Los Cafeteros will head to Mexico City, Guadalajara and Miami, with their match-up with Portugal in Miami proving the biggest driver of searches.
| Hardcore Fan Ranking4 Biggest search increases by nation for travel to NORAM | Inbound Fan Tracker2 Most popular nationality heading to each host city aside from North American fans | |
| Colombia +305% England & Scotland +290% Argentina +280% Japan +130% Mexico +115% Australia +80% Canada +75% USA +70% Belgium +65% Brazil +55% | Atlanta: English Boston: English & Scottish Dallas: Japanese Guadalajara: Colombian Houston: Japanese Kansas City: Ecuadorian Los Angeles: Japanese Mexico City: Colombian | Miami: Scottish Monterrey: Japanese New York: English Philadelphia: English San Francisco: Australian Seattle: Australian Toronto: Panama Vancouver: Australian |
Top Trending Soccer Cities
With group stage match ups now confirmed, Expedia reveals the latest insights on the surging travel demand, as fans plan their North American trips:
- Searches by Aussies post draw for all three host cities (Vancouver, Seattle and San Francisco) combined are up a staggering 455%***.
- Globally, Boston tops both the most popular and trending rankings, with more searches than any other host city. Searches are up 1000%1, driven by soccer-mad English and Scottish fans – making up 65%2 of all Boston searches.
| EXPEDIA’S TOP GLOBAL SOCCER CITIES | |
| Most Popular Host Cities1 Globally 1. Boston 2. New York 3. Miami 4. Dallas 5. Toronto 6. Vancouver 7. Philadelphia 8. Kansas City 9. Seattle 10. Houston 11. Los Angeles 12. Atlanta 13. Monterrey 14. Guadalajara 15. Mexico City 16. San Francisco | Host Cities Trending Upwards1 Globally 1. Boston +1000% 2. Dallas +900% 3. Kansas City +640% 4. Philadelphia +530% 5. Guadalajara +470% 6. Houston +375% 7. Monterrey +270% 8. Miami +260% 9. Atlanta +240% 10. Toronto +220% 11. Mexico City +150% 12. New York +120% 13. Seattle +85% 14. Vancouver +75% 15. Los Angeles +65% 16. San Francisco +10% |
Expedia’s Top Travel Tips for Fans
- Consider multi-city flight tickets: If following a team to multiple cities, sometimes flying into one city and returning out of another can prove cheaper than buying separate one-ways. Check out the multi-city flights booking function on Expedia.
- Bundle5 and save more on packages: Flights, hotels, car hire and activities – all in one place. Book them together on Expedia to save hundreds on average. Bonus: your full itinerary is stored in one place.
- Stay in an alternative city or suburb: Along with hotels, also consider holiday rentals for extra space. There may be better availability in suburbs or rural areas outside of cities.
- Studio from $220 per night6 in Carlisle MA, 45 minutes from Boston
- 1-bedroom apartment at The Monticello Guest House from $225 per night6 in Knox Street District, 15 minutes from Downtown Dallas
- 3-bedroom private estate home from $640 per night6 in Langley Township, BC, 1 hour 30 minutes from the stadium in Vancouver
- Turn on Price Alerts: Use Price Tracking7 in the Expedia app to track fares and get notified when prices drop.
Book your travel for next summer’s soccer spectacle on Expedia.
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ADDITIONAL FINDINGS
Hardcore fans
- Searches to the US by British fans have ballooned to +290%4. The surge is driven by not only the English but also the Scottish – taking part in their first world soccer tournament in 30 years.
- Scotland’s passionate fans will head to Boston and Miami, with searches for their opening game in Boston ten times the volume of England fans’ searches for their matchup in the same city.
- Brazil (+55%4) ranks 10th in the list, beaten by rivals and current champions Argentina (+280%4) and even the Japanese (+130%4).
Top trending soccer cities
- Miami ranks third in the most popular host city list (+260%1), with Brazil vs Scotland drawing the biggest initial interest. Searches by the Scots account for almost half2 of searches made for Miami post-draw.
- San Francisco trails both the rankings, with only a 10%1 increase in interest, despite hosting five group stage matches.
- New York ranks as the second most popular city, proving an accessible hub for travelling international fans. Globally, accommodation searches are up 120%1, with flight searches up 165%3.
- Dallas is trending up 900%1, globally. The Texan city will host soccer powerhouses England and Argentina, yet searches are being driven by Japanese fans, who will have two games in Dallas – they account for almost a third of travel searches.
1 Based on accommodation searches made on Expedia global from 5 – 8 December 2025 compared to 30 November 2025 – 1 December 2025. For group stage stay dates 11 – 27 June 2026 in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, Seattle, Kansas City, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, Monterrey, Mexico City & Guadalajara.
2 Based on accommodation searches made on Expedia global from 5 – 8 December 2025.
3 Based on flight searches made on Expedia global from 5 – 8 December 2025 compared to 30 November 2025 – 1 December 2025. For group stage travel between 11 – 27 June 2026 to New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, Seattle, Kansas City, San Francisco, Toronto, Vancouver, Monterrey, Mexico City & Guadalajara.
4 Based on accommodation searches made on Expedia global from 10 September – 8 December 2025 compared to 10 September – 8 December 2024, for stays between 11 – 27 June 2026 compared to stays 11 – 27 June 2025.
5 Savings vary and are not available on all packages. Savings are compared to the price of the same components booked separately.
6 Holiday rental prices are correct as of 9 December 2025 but are subject to change.
7 Price Tracking is available as an Expedia member benefit. Price history is based on the lowest priced flight per day based on searches on Expedia, for your specific search enquiry.
*Based on accommodation searches made on Expedia.com.au from 5 – 8 December 2025 compared to 28 November – 1 December 2025, for stay dates 11 – 27 June 2026 in any of the 16 host cities.
** Based on accommodation searches on Expedia.com.au from 10 Sept – 8 Dec 2025 v 10 Sept – 8 Dec 2024, for stays during group stages (11 – 27 June 2026) compared to stays for 11 – 27 June 2025
***Based on accommodation searches made on Expedia.com.au from 5 – 10 December 2025 compared to 26 November – 1 December 2025, for stay dates 11 – 27 June 2026 in Vancouver, Seattle and San Francisco.
