FIFA has announced a new major partnership with online accommodation marketplace Airbnb, spanning over three tournaments.
As part of the deal, Airbnb becomes a top-tier official partner for the FIFA Club World Cup, which kicked off in the U.S. on the 13th of June.
The company will also join FIFA’s official supporter tier for the 2026 Men’s World Cup, taking place across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, as well as the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
In its new role, Airbnb will be FIFA’s official platform for booking alternative accommodations and local experiences.
That means fans traveling to host cities will be able to find unique places to stay and book memorable activities during the tournaments.
Some of the first experiences available during the Club World Cup include a private training session with former U.S. men’s national team goalkeeper Tim Howard, the chance to watch a match with his former teammate Cobi Jones, and an exclusive pre-game analysis session led by a senior expert from FIFA’s technical study group.
Airbnb took its first big step into sports sponsorship in 2019 when it partnered with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to become a TOP sponsor of the Olympic Games.
Building on that momentum, the company was recently announced as an official partner of the Tour de France for the next three years, following this summer’s Games in Paris.
Now, Airbnb is expanding its presence in sports through a new partnership with FIFA, echoing its previous deals by focusing on one-of-a-kind experiences and encouraging fans to use the platform to book places to stay during the events.
To support the launch of the FIFA partnership, a new study by Deloitte estimates that over 380,000 Airbnb guests will travel to the 2026 Men’s World Cup, potentially contributing around US$3.6 billion (AUD$5.01 billion) to the economies of host cities.
Airbnb has also pledged US$5 million (AUD$7.66 million) to a Host City Impact Program for the 2026 tournament.
Through this initiative, it will work with local governments to fund projects that boost economic development and enhance the visitor experience.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said the company is proud to partner with FIFA to offer unique fan experiences and help host hundreds of thousands of guests during the 2026 World Cup, while also supporting local economies.
“The World Cup brings the world together – and so do we,” Chesky said in a press release.
“Airbnb is proud to partner with Fifa to offer fans once-in-a-lifetime experiences during the tournaments – while welcoming hundreds of thousands of guests during the 2026 Fifa World Cup and driving meaningful economic impact for local communities.”
Airbnb’s latest move into sports sponsorship comes at a time when the company is seeing a dip in demand in the U.S., which it has attributed to broader economic uncertainty.
With North America making up 45% of Airbnb’s US$11.1 billion (AUD$17 billion) in revenue in 2024, the upcoming major tournaments in its home market present a valuable opportunity to boost engagement and bring more users back to the platform.
Airbnb joins a growing list of sponsors for the FIFA Club World Cup, alongside long-time FIFA partners like Coca-Cola, Visa, and Adidas, as well as Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
