International tourism to the U.S. could get a much-needed boost from the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a sluggish 2025, when visitors stayed away amid unease over President Donald Trump’s trade policies and concerns about tougher border scrutiny.

Foreign visitation to the U.S. was down 4% year to date through July, according to visa data from the National Travel and Tourism Office. Travel data company Tourism Economics projects a full-year decline of about 6.3% in 2025.

That could reverse next year, when the world’s biggest sporting event is expected to draw over a million visitors as it kicks off across 16 host cities in North America, 11 of which are in the U.S.

The World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19, could account for roughly one in three additional foreign visitors

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