NEW YORK, March 26. /TASS/. The world’s governing body of football, FIFA, has canceled 80% of its hotel reservations in Canada’s Vancouver and Toronto ahead of the 2026 World Cup, The Globe and Mail daily reported on Thursday citing its sources.
The daily quoted President of The British Columbia Hotel Association Paul Hawes as saying that such cancellations were standard practice for large-scale events, as organizers adjust their financial allocations as the event draws nearer.
"In this case, however, the volume released is higher than typically expected. It appears consistent with what is being seen in other host cities across North America," Hawes stated.
Greater Toronto Hotel Association president Sara Anghel confirmed that blocks of rooms had indeed been cancelled.
"No one is happy with the decision to drop the blocks [of rooms], and as we see, it’s becoming a pattern across North American cities. So, you know, let that be a lesson … for future host countries or cities," the Canadian daily quoted Anghel as saying.
The British-based The Independent daily reported on March 24 that FIFA had canceled over 2,000 hotel room reservations in the US city of Philadelphia.
The Independent added that in early March, "FIFA cancelled 40% of its hotel rooms in Mexico City," a figure that amounts to 800 hotel rooms in Mexico.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States between June 11 and July 19. The matches will be staged in 16 cities across the three countries. This will be the first FIFA World Cup featuring 48 teams instead of the previous 32-team format.