Online accommodation marketplace Airbnb has expanded its sports sponsorship portfolio by agreeing a deal with Fifa to support the global soccer body’s next three major tournaments.
The agreement includes top-tier official partner status for the Club World Cup in the US, which kicks off on 13th June, while Airbnb will join Fifa’s official supporter tier for next year’s men’s World Cup across the US, Canada and Mexico and the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.
Airbnb will serve as Fifa’s official alternative accommodations and experiences booking platform, a role which will see it offer travelling fans places to stay and activities to book while they visit the host cities.
Among the first experiences available during the Club World Cup are a private training session with former US men’s national team goalkeeper Tim Howard, watching a game alongside the American’s former international teammate Cobi Jones, and a behind-the-scenes pre-match analysis session hosted by a senior expert on Fifa’s technical study group.
Airbnb made its first major move into sports sponsorship in 2019 when it struck a deal with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to become a TOP sponsor of the Olympic Games. On the back of Paris 2024, the company was recently unveiled as an official partner of the Tour de France for the next three years.
The new partnership with Fifa is similar to those relationships, which are similarly built around unique experiences and encourage attendees to use the platform to book their accommodation.
The Fifa partnership announcement was backed up by a new Deloitte studywhich estimates that more than 380,000 Airbnb guests will travel to next year’s World Cup, generating an estimated US$3.6 billion for host city economies.
Airbnb has also committed US$5 million towards a host city impact programme for the 2026 World Cup, which will see it collaborate with cities to fund initiatives that drive economic growth and improve the event experience for visitors.
“The World Cup brings the world together – and so do we,” said Airbnb co-founded and chief executive Brian Chesky. “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 sponsorship drive comes shortly after the company reported softer demand in the US, which it said had been driven by broader economic uncertainties. North America accounted for 45 per cent of the company’s US$11.1 billion revenue in 2024, meaning the upcoming major tournaments in its home market represent an opportunity to reignite usage of the platform.
Airbnb is the latest sponsor to sign up for the Club World Cup, which is also being backed by existing Fifa partners like Coca-Cola, Visa and Adidas, as well as Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
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