World Cup Leads to Surging Airbnb Prices in Los Angeles

Six months out from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Airbnb hosts near SoFi Stadium are already emerging as the winners in the competition.

Across Los Angeles, the average booked Airbnb rate for June 12, 2026, when the U.S. team will play its first match at SoFi Stadium, is up 56 percent from a typical June night, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing AirDNA data. More than 70 percent of Inglewood’s short-term rentals are booked for opening night, with those nightly prices up 58 percent from normal levels. Los Angeles will host eight matches at SoFi throughout the monthlong tournament.

Short-term lodging that normally rents for hundreds per night in Inglewood is listed for thousands. The price hike is stark in single-family homes. A two-night stay across from SoFi at one host’s house typically costs around $1,000, but for two nights during the U.S. team’s opening match June 12, it will cost more than $10,000.

The surge in tourists next summer is expected to generate $183 million in economic activity across the region, Justin Wesson, a public policy senior manager at Airbnb, told the Times.

“Hotel supply in L.A is limited and prices are already high,” Wesson said. “With World Cup demand surging, more listing supply on the platform will help keep accommodations affordable and more visitors locally, keeping millions of dollars in visitor spending in local communities.”

About 6.5 million people are expected to travel to North America for the 2026 World Cup, with a large chunk of them visiting Los Angeles. The city will host eight matches at SoFi throughout the monthlong tournament. The short-term rental pricing surge is shaping up as a dress rehearsal for the 2028 Summer Olympics, when an estimated 15 million visitors are expected to descend on Southern California. Demand for luxury stays during that time has already picked up.

— Chris Malone Méndez