Texas cities among hottest for World Cup dating

A new report from DatingAdvice.com found that singles in both Houston and Dallas saw their dating lives get a World Cup boost. Both Texas cities ranked among the top places more likely to make connections because of the tournament. 

In Houston, 74 percent of respondents said their dating activity increased because of the World Cup—the second-highest increase among U.S. host cities, behind only Kansas City. Dallas wasn’t far behind, with 70 percent of respondents reporting a similar bump. The findings come after Houston completed all seven of its scheduled World Cup matches, while Dallas still has one match remaining, the semifinal between France and Spain on July 14 

In H-town, 28 percent of respondents said a shared love of soccer was the most attractive quality in a World Cup visitor.

A June survey of 1,000 single adults between ages 18 and 79 across all 11 U.S. host cities found that 76 percent of host city residents said the World Cup has made their city more fun to be single in. The event, drawing soccer lovers from around the world, has apparently sparked a different kind of match in Space City and beyond. 

Houston beat out Dallas in making the World Cup a hotspot for singles—but just by a hair. 

Dallas was only slightly behind Houston in dating activity growth with a reported 70 percent increase among respondents. Similarly, 29 percent of Dallasites said a shared love of soccer was the most attractive quality in a World Cup visitor. 

The city also saw one of the highest percentages of respondents who have gone on more dates or had more hookups among all host cities, ranking fourth at 44 percent behind New York, Atlanta and Los Angeles. 

Across the 16 host cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, use of Tinder increased by 47 percent. Roughly 80 percent of people said they matched with someone on the dating app after the tournament arrived. 

“Whether people gather for the love of the sport or just simply for love, it’s clear that this year’s World Cup is leaving a real mark on singles’ hearts and fandom,” according to the report.