Mere days away from the FIFA World Cup, soccer enthusiasts from around the globe will be tuning in to 48 teams compete in more than 100 matches across Canada, Mexico and the United States, including right here in Texas. The tournament kicks off on Thursday, June 11, and culminates on Saturday, July 19.
With the world waiting with bated breath to see which country reigns victorious, which matches — and, by extension, host cities — are getting the most love from football fans around the world?
Airbnb unveiled its analysis of the Top 10 FIFA World Cup matches that have generated the most buzz. While the United States cinched plenty of love from prospective travelers, the same couldn’t be said for Texas, which is poised to host matches in both Dallas and Houston.
The Lone Star State was blocked out from the Top 10 roundup, with the highest engagement concentrated along both the East and West Coast. Those games piquing the most interest include:
While Texas might not have gotten much search love, the Lone Star State is representing itself on the global stage, with 16 matches slated for AT&T Stadium in Arlington and Houston’s NRG Stadium. Of those 16 Texas-based matches, 10 will be held in the “group” stage while the additional six will be in a bracket play format, including a semifinal showdown in Arlington scheduled for July 14.
Texans, of course, are familiar with each stadium’s namesakes, but they will be tweaked due to FIFA’s rules surrounding corporate naming rights. Under those stipulations, the venues will instead be referred to as “Dallas Stadium” — which, like, is in Arlington, but we digress — and “Houston Stadium.”