Key Takeaways
- Nearly half of U.S. singles surveyed said they have gone on a date or hooked up with a World Cup visitor, with 80% using a dating app to match with someone.
- Over 1 in 5 (21%) singles said a World Cup visitor’s accent is the main attraction, even superseding physical attraction (11%).
- One in 4 singles said they most want to date an Argentine or Brazilian.
The atmosphere surrounding the World Cup is heating up, and we’re not just talking about outside temperature or the on-field competition.
A recent DatingAdvice.com survey found that nearly 7 in 10 (68%) singles say their dating lives have seen major improvement during the tournament, with many dating and hooking up more as a result.
Our findings show how mega sporting events, such as the World Cup, can have the power to transform host cities, not only affecting obvious sectors like tourism and the economy, but also the city’s dating ecosystem.
The World Cup is fueling a rise in social interaction and togetherness. And instead of staying home to watch matches, singles across the U.S.’s 11 host cities are using the World Cup to go out and socialize, and our study shows their dating lives are benefiting because of it.
Nearly 1 in 2 Singles Has Already Gone On a Date or Hooked Up With a World Cup Visitor
This year’s World Cup has become not only a hotbed for soccer fans across the U.S. but also singles looking for love. Our findings suggest that the excitement around the tournament is sparking a rise in dating activity.
Nearly 1 in 2 (44%) singles in U.S. host cities admitted to having already gone on a date or hooked up with a World Cup visitor, with 33% saying their dating activity increased significantly since the tournament began.
Yet this rise in dating isn’t localized to one group; it’s consistent across demographics. Both men and women showed similar increases in dating activity, at 46% and 42%, respectively.
Interestingly, older Americans, specifically boomers, reported higher dating activity than younger people due to the World Cup. 52% of boomers said they had gone on a date or engaged in a hookup with a World Cup tourist.
Here is the generational breakdown of those who said they have gone on a date or hooked up with a World Cup visitor:
- Boomers: 52%
- Gen Z: 45%
- Millennials: 43%
- Gen X: 42%
This shows that the World Cup excitement isn’t exclusive to an age group. Shared excitement is lowering barriers across the dating scene, giving people a place and reason to bond in real life.
80% Matched With Someone on a Dating App During the World Cup
Dating apps have also experienced a major boom during this shift in romantic activity. People aren’t just meeting people at local sports bars or watch parties. They’re also meeting them online.
Our study found that 4 in 5 singles living in host cities, such as Boston and Kansas City, matched with someone on a dating app after the tournament arrived. More than a fourth (26%) said they matched with four or more people, while another 5% reported matching with 10 or more people.
Fast Company also reported that Tinder experienced an average 47% increase in activity across the 16 host cities for this year’s matches in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. The app also saw a 22% increase among domestic users during the same time period.
It’s clear that dating apps have served as a crucial facilitator for singles during this “dating boom,” pointing to the many ways people are finding dates during the 2026 World Cup.
1 in 5 Singles Would Be Most Drawn to a World Cup Visitor for How They Sound
Our study identified key factors that may be driving romantic attraction during this soccer-fueled dating boom.
We asked respondents what would most attract them to date or hook up with a World Cup visitor, and these were their responses:
While shared interest in soccer and culture top the list of attractions, other non-tournament-related attributes also drew daters to World Cup visitors. Notably, more than 1 in 5 singles say a visitor’s accent was the main draw, followed by physical attraction (11%).
Daters from New York (31.5%), Miami (30.6%), and Boston (30.3%) were the most likely to choose accent as the most attractive element of a visitor, while singles from Texas (Dallas: 29%; Houston: 28%) said shared love of soccer is what draws them the most.
When ranking the most dateable fans, singles say visitors from Latin America take the cake. One in 4 surveyed singles says they would most want to date soccer fans from Argentina and Brazil — two countries widely regarded for their strong soccer cultures.
As for the hottest visitors, Brazil (12%), Argentina (10%), and Australia (10%) took home the most votes. Brazil and Argentina making the top two again suggests that singles may primarily want to date fans from there due to physical attraction.
The World Cup Is Turning Host Cities Into Dating Destinations, With 76% Saying Their City Is More Fun to Be Single In
Host cities aren’t just hubs for live soccer play and engagement; they have become prime dating destinations. More than 3 in 4 (76%) host-city residents say the World Cup has made their city more fun to be single in.
Seattle (84%), Philadelphia (83%), and Boston (82%) lead the pack, with more than 8 in 10 residents saying the tournament has made their city’s singles scene more exciting.
Cities that saw the most dates or hookups include New York (47%), Atlanta (46%), Los Angeles (45%), and Dallas (44%).
But the cities that benefited the most romantically from the World Cup were Dallas (70%), Miami (69%), Boston (67%), and Atlanta (67%). Residents in these host cities reported the highest increases in dating activity, revealing a World Cup-fueled dating boom in their cities.
The World Cup is bringing together more than just soccer fans. Its electric energy is also sparking romantic encounters across the U.S., improving the dating lives of millions of singles. And singles in host cities looking for love are reporting the greatest benefits.
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.
Methodology
This survey was conducted by DatingAdvice.com among 1,000 single adults living in the 11 U.S. host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™. Respondents were ages 18 to 79 and represented a broad distribution across gender, age, race/ethnicity, political affiliation, income, and host city. Fieldwork was completed in June 2026 during the FIFA World Cup. The theoretical margin of error for a probability sample of this size is ±3.1% at the 95% confidence level.
Media inquiries, please contact colleen@datingadvice.com.
