North American sports fans show a strong appetite for traveling to live sporting events, with particularly high participation and future intent in Mexico and Canada, according to recent YouGov research.

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, the data points to meaningful opportunities for destinations, teams, and brands, especially among consumers who increasingly seek entertainment experiences that extend beyond the game itself.

Sports tourism shows strong growth across North America

Nearly half of Mexican adults (49%) and 44% of Canadian adults report having traveled specifically to attend a sporting event, compared to less than a third (32%) of US consumers.

However, these patterns shift dramatically when examining international sports travel specifically.

• Canadian consumers lead in international sports event attendance at 19%, followed by Mexico at 14%, while only 2% of US consumers have traveled abroad for sporting events.
• This disparity appears linked to the accessibility of domestic sports options and the strong connection US fans have to local teams.

"Supporting a specific team is the number one reason US consumers travel for sports," said Nicole Pike, global head of YouGov Sport during a recent YouGov webinar, suggesting that the abundance of domestic professional leagues reduces the need for international travel.

Looking ahead, approximately 32% of Mexicans and 24% of Canadians indicate they will travel for sporting events within the next year, compared to just 11% of US consumers. Younger consumers, particularly Gen Z and millennials, show significantly higher propensity to travel for sports across all three markets.

World Cup positioned to capitalize on soccer's growth

Soccer interest has risen dramatically across North America in recent years, with 80% of Mexican adults, 55% of Canadians, and 42% of US consumers now expressing interest in the sport.

The timing of the 2026 World Cup, hosted across all three countries, aligns strategically with this upward trajectory.

• 53% of Mexicans, 37% of Canadians, and 15% of US consumers say they will watch at least some World Cup matches.
• Several factors suggest actual viewership may exceed these projections, including matches played in favorable time zones for North American audiences and the extended four-year gap since the last World Cup.

"With matches in North America this year, it's going to create more buzz, engagement, and excitement," said Pike.

Soccer fans also tend to be higher-income consumers within North America, suggesting greater capacity for discretionary spending on travel and event attendance, a positive indicator for destinations and businesses hoping to capitalize on World Cup tourism.

For multi-location events like the World Cup, most fans indicate they will attend one event in one location rather than traveling to multiple cities, a pattern driven by cost, logistics, and time constraints.

This behavior creates specific opportunities for destination marketing organizations.

"If you're a destination marketing organization or tourism board, you want to bookend events," said Kenton Barello, head of new business at YouGov. "Have something where people can spend three nights in a row with everything laid out. Three amazing events to maximize entertainment and value."

Entertainment value drives modern sports tourism

Sports tourists increasingly demand multi-faceted entertainment experiences that extend beyond the competition itself.

• When asked about additional entertainment offerings they would engage with at sporting events, food trucks/food stands ranked highest among US consumers, while free swag giveaways and live music/concerts also showed strong appeal.
• "These consumers want to be entertained and maximize value," said Barello. "Life's hard right now, so they want to maximize entertainment and enjoyment."

Cost and time remain primary barriers

Despite growing interest in sports tourism, significant barriers persist.

• Cost emerges as the top deterrent across all three North American markets, encompassing both event tickets and associated travel expenses including hotels and transportation.
• Time constraints also factor prominently, particularly for US consumers who report higher concerns about time availability (44%) compared to their Canadian (42%) and Mexican (32%) counterparts.

Transportation patterns reflect these constraints, with personal vehicles serving as the primary mode of travel, likely indicating shorter, domestic trips predominate. Nearly half of Canadian sports tourists (45%) and 40% of Mexican sports tourists have used air travel for events, while only 25% of US consumers report flying for sporting events.

International matches drive new fan conversion

A significant trend in global sports involves bringing international competitions to new markets, and the data demonstrates this strategy's effectiveness in building fan bases.

• Approximately 30% of both Mexican and Canadian adults report becoming fans of entirely new sports after attending or engaging with international matches played in their home countries.
• Even in the United States, where the percentage is lower at 10%, this still represents millions of potential new fans given the country's population size.

Notably, female fans in the US convert at nearly the same rate as male fans through these international match experiences, a departure from typical sports fandom patterns that skew more heavily male.

"This is a great sign for teams and [sports] rights holders looking to expand their female fan base," said Pike. "Bringing live events into the market and allowing women to experience that really makes a huge difference."

When asked which sports they would watch if international teams competed in their home cities, North American fans showed strong preference for their traditional favorites, hockey in Canada (51%) and American football for the US (51%).

• However, emerging sports like rugby and cricket present untapped opportunities as they begin expanding into new markets.
• “We're going to see a lot more matches being played in North America [as international sports try] to expand into that North American fan base,” said Pike.

We prepared this article with the assistance of generative AI tools and stand behind its accuracy, quality, and originality.

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