As excitement builds for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Airbnb host earnings are projected to total nearly $156 million for the event.
Now, Airbnb is seeking new hosts to meet surging demand for short-term rental stays during the tournament.
It’s offering new hosts a $750 reward for listing their home on Airbnb and hosting their first guests by July 31, 2026.
“As the world’s biggest sporting event comes to North America, Airbnb is launching its biggest new host incentive ever,” Dave Stephenson, chief business officer at Airbnb, said in a statement shared with Realtor.com®.
“Demand for World Cup stays on Airbnb is surging, giving residents of host cities the opportunity to boost their incomes by sharing their homes and the communities they love. There’s truly never been a better time to become a host on Airbnb.”
Where hosts can cash in
The wildly popular tournament is hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico—and runs from June 11 until July 19, 2026, when the final takes place in East Rutherford, NJ.
The U.S. will host 60 games, including the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final.
The U.S. host cities where this promotion applies include: Atlanta; Boston (including Providence); Dallas (including Fort Worth and Tarrant County); Houston; Kansas City; Los Angeles (including coastal Orange County); Miami (including South Florida Atlantic Coast); New York (including Jersey City); Philadelphia; San Francisco (including South Bay and East Bay); and Seattle.
But there’s a catch—only certain ZIP codes qualify for this promotion, so new hosts should make sure to verify theirs is on the list.
How much hosts can earn
Those metros surrounding the cities where the matches will be played are expected to host about 2.1 million tourists during the World Cup, many of whom will need places to stay and that includes approximately 232,000 Airbnb guests.
According to Airbnb, searches for stays in host cities have increased by an average of 80% compared with the same period last year.
Airbnb hosts in World Cup cities can earn approximately $4,000, or $262 per night, on average during the tournament, according to recent Deloitte analysis.
The study shows that hosts in New York, New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Miami can earn even more, averaging about $5,700 in New York and New Jersey; $5,100 in Los Angeles; and $5,000 in Miami.
“People in Miami and throughout South Florida are pumped about the World Cup,” real estate agent and investor Ron Myers of Ron Buys Florida Homes tells Realtor.com. “Some of my clients have asked me if they should rent out their homes on Airbnb during the World Cup. They see it as a chance to make extra money. If your house is in the right spot, it could be a smart move.”
Houston real estate agent Ashley Peterson of Douglas Elliman tells Realtor.com, “Hosting Airbnb guests would be a great way to make some extra money. People are going to be paying top dollar to stay in areas near all of the activities happening in Houston during that time. Hotels will book up rather quickly, and there will be many individuals and families who would prefer staying in a home with more space availability than a hotel provides.”
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible, you must be a new host on Airbnb or have no active home listings as of Feb. 1, 2026.
You must publish a listing for an entire home in an eligible event zone and complete a reservation for that listing with a total price of at least $100 USD before taxes on or before July 31, 2026.
Bookings canceled by either the guest or the host at any time before or after the scheduled check-in are not eligible.
Each eligible host may receive one reward only.
What hosts would do with the money
A survey from Focaldata found that 64% of respondents in host cities would consider renting out space in their homes during the tournament.
Nearly half (49%) said earning extra income would be their main motivation for hosting.
Close to 90% said the added income would have a significant or moderate positive effect on their current financial situation.
Residents said they would most likely use the money to pay down debt (40%), cover living expenses (35%), or make home improvements (33%).