As the countdown to the 2026 FIFA World Cup intensifies – the New York/New Jersey-hosted 2026 FIFA World Cup coincides with “Sail 4th 250” week, New York City’s massive Fourth of July initiative— millions of Americans and an estimated five million international visitors are gearing up to follow the cup action across North America.
But not everyone is planning to be swept up entirely in the soccer frenzy. As Travel Talk learned in a recent exchange with Victor de Vita, managing director of Travel & Luxury at the Brooklyn-based communications and consulting agency BPCM, a quieter, more considered approach is emerging.
Think of it as World Cup travel with a twist – itineraries that “orbit” the spectacle rather than dive into it headfirst. These so-called “anti-FIFA” journeys are all about slipping just beyond the matches and even beyond the host cities, discovering places rich in culture and character and without the crush of the crowds.
“Matches are no longer the sole destination; they’re the anchor. From Los Angeles to Toronto, New York City to Miami and down to Mexico City, the tournament is transforming cities into interconnected cultural stages, where sport intersects with hospitality, design, dining and nightlife,” he said.
This World Cup is set to be unlike any before it. With 48 teams spread across 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the sheer scale is staggering. Travel demand continues to surge with hotel bookings climbing well above seasonal norms, while private aviation and high-end concierge services are seeing a noticeable uptick.
Put another way, for today’s luxury traveler, the question has evolved. It’s no longer just where to watch the game but how to experience the journey around it.
For those who want to immerse themselves fully, proximity is, of course, everything. In Los Angeles, The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles places guests right in the heart of L.A. Live – the place to be for screenings, celebrations and the city’s electric sports culture. It’s not just about the matches; it’s about being part of the atmosphere that surrounds them.
By contrast, though, for a complete reset, a property like the newly reimagined The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, provides a coastal counterpoint to the buzz of Los Angeles. Perched above the Pacific, it trades noise for ocean air and crowd for calm.
Across host cities, Marriott Bonvoy is leaning into its role as an official partner, offering members access to match tickets, curated hospitality packages and exclusive experiences.
But you can enjoy the soccer, and even follow it, without having to be in the thick of it. In Miami, Mr. C Miami Coconut Grove strikes that perfect balance. Overlooking Biscayne Bay, this beautiful property (operated by the Cipriani hotel and restaurant family), offers a more relaxed, residential feel, complete with terrace-lined rooms, a rooftop pool and long, languid lunches that are going to feel a world away from the roar of Hard Rock Stadium. It’s the kind of place where you can dip into the excitement, then retreat and reengage on your own terms.
Not everyone, however, wants to savor the sidelines. If the past few years were defined by pared-back, “quiet luxury” escapes, the pendulum is swinging decisively in the opposite direction.
“Travel, like fashion, is embracing boldness again,” De Vita said, with “more color, more contrast and more experiences packed into a single trip.”
And as for how to travel, with airport traffic in World Cup cities expected to hit an all-time high, this summer could be the time to get acquainted with private or semiprivate jet services, like PS (formerly The Private Suite), if your budget runs to it. With private terminals in key World Cup hubs like Los Angeles and Atlanta – and Dallas Fort Worth and Miami coming soon – PS allows guests to bypass traditional airports entirely. It promises no queues and no crowds – just a seamless glide from one city to the next, “turning even transit into part of the luxury experience,” De Vita added.
Certainly, luxury advisers are seeing a clear shift: Travelers are no longer content with one destination. Instead, they’re stitching together multi-city, even multi-country itineraries, often combining two, three or four stops into a single journey. The World Cup, with its cross-border format, is the perfect catalyst for this kind of travel.
In other words, this isn’t – or needn’t be – just about soccer. It’s about crafting a journey that feels as dynamic as the tournament itself. This will work especially well for families where some members are crazy for the game, but others, well, less so. They’ll be the ones sitting around a blissfully quiet swimming pool or visiting a deserted city art gallery while their friends or family members will be shouting their lungs out at the pitch.
The takeaway? Whether you’re chasing the roar of the crowd or deliberately skirting its edges, the 2026 FIFA World Cup may well be reshaping how – and why – we travel. The matches may be the headline, but for many, it’s everything around them that’s becoming the real story.
© Julija Lavrisceva
| Dreamstime.com.
Jeremy Wayne is also a travel adviser with Superior Travel of New York. Email him at jeremy@superiortravel.com.
