- Airbnb is offering experiences for football fans, designed exclusively for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™.
- The experiences range from playing a match with a former professional footballer at a 2026 FIFA World Cup™ stadium to customising a shirt with an adidas design expert, or enjoying a perfect day out for the quarter-finals with football legend Rio Ferdinand.
With less than 50 days to go until the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, the Airbnb platform is launching a series of curated experiences to bring fans together and get them closer than ever to the world’s biggest sporting event. There are unique activities for everyone: from stepping onto the pitch with football icons, to customising a tournament kit with an adidas design expert, or enjoying VIP access to an exclusive football discussion with true legends of the beautiful game.
A perfect plan for the quarter-finals with ‘Rio Ferdinand Presents’
For the first time in 30 years, football legend Rio Ferdinand will be attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ purely as a fan. During the tournament, he will be based in Los Angeles and will invite four lucky fans (and their guests) to join him for an unforgettable four-day experience, “A Perfect Plan for the Quarter-Finals”*, which will include:
- Exclusive access to a live recording of “Rio Ferdinand Presents”, where travellers will witness the podcast being recorded live with Rio and his co-hosts.
- Tickets to a 2026 FIFA World Cup™ quarter-final match in Los Angeles.
- A private stay in an Airbnb accommodation in the heart of Los Angeles from 8 to 11 July 2026.
- Service from a private chef and carefully selected local experiences, during which travellers will discover little-known gourmet spots, visit the sights of Los Angeles and enjoy a VIP dining experience.
“Football has been my life, and there’s no bigger stage than the FIFA World Cup,” says Rio Ferdinand, former captain of the England national team. “It’s going to be a great summer with Airbnb. We want to bring fans closer than ever before, offer them premium access and provide them with unforgettable moments from the United States. For me, this is something new: for the first time in over 30 years, I’ll be experiencing a World Cup as a fan. I can’t wait for it all to begin.”
Fans can book “A Perfect Plan for the Quarter-Finals” for free from 12 May at 11:00 CEST at airbnb.com/rioferdinand. Places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis*. There are four places available for a four-day trip (8–11 July 2026), each of which can be booked for one traveller and one companion.
The ultimate experiences for fans of the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ . Airbnb and FIFA have joined forces to offer unique experiences led by football legends and local experts. There’s something for everyone: from designing your own kit to playing a match on the pitch at a 2026 FIFA World Cup™ stadium
Design your own 2026 FIFA World Cup™ jersey with Adidas
This June, travellers will be able to immerse themselves in a lesser-known side of football, where culture, creativity and sport come together. Fans will have the chance to personalise an official shirt from this year’s collection and discover the history of the most iconic kits from previous tournaments, guided by one of the Adidas designers who has been involved in creating the kits for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™. The host will walk them through the process of creating some of football’s most iconic kits and explain what it takes to bring them to life. Fans can book the experience from 20 May at 13:00 EDT (19:00 CEST).
VIP Day at Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim
Meet American football legends Landon Donovan and Tim Howard for an exclusive experience featuring behind-the-scenes access to the live recordings of their hit podcast, Unfiltered Soccer, in Los Angeles, Dallas and New York. Before the microphones are switched on, travellers will enjoy the ultimate unfiltered experience with Tim and Landon, featuring debates, lively exchanges and relaxed chats. During the experience, these two football greats will share first-hand stories from the world of football and their thoughts on the World Cup, before getting ready for the live podcast recording. Fans will be able to book the experience from 20 May at 19:00 CEST.
“Our exclusive Airbnb experience for the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ allows us to open our doors to fans during the world’s biggest football event so they can see how the Unfiltered Soccer podcast works from the inside. We’ll be sharing first-hand insights and celebrating the tournament’s key moments together. We are incredibly grateful for the welcome we’ve received from the communities in these host cities as we travel and stay with Airbnb, and we can’t wait to share this experience with fans,” said Tim Howard and Landon Donovan, co-hosts of the Unfiltered Soccer podcast.
Train with football legends
Fans will be able to take to the pitch in New York with former England international Ian Wright or in Los Angeles with former USA international and two-time FIFA Women’s World Cup™ winner Christen Press for an unforgettable training experience with these football legends. They will take part in guided exercises and learn skills and techniques from top professionals. After the training session, travellers will be able to ask questions and hear their hosts’ views on professional football, match preparation and what life is like for elite athletes in an interactive session. Fans can submit a booking request for the experience from 20 May at 19:00 CEST
Play a match with professional footballers at the Miami stadium
In this unique experience, participants will have the chance to play a match on the official pitch of the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ at the Miami stadium, alongside MLS veterans and former teammates Bradley Wright-Phillips and Lloyd Sam. Fans will get kitted out in the players’ changing rooms before taking to the pitch, where they will recreate pre-match rituals, take part in a motivational talk worthy of champions, and enjoy an unforgettable football experience. Bookings will open on 20 May at 7.00 pm (CEST).
Attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ with a fantastic host
In this special experience, fans will attend a 2026 FIFA World Cup™ match in the company of some of Airbnb’s top hosts (who are also die-hard football fans): Ben Gollan in New York and New Jersey, Drew Tewksbury in Los Angeles, and former professional footballer Fer Piña in Mexico City. Travellers will be able to watch the match from some of the best seats in the stadium. Fans can book the experience from 20 May at 19:00 CEST.
In addition to these exclusive experiences for fans ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, travellers will also be able to discover, throughout the tournament, dozens of local experiences that have been reimagined with a football twist. These carefully selected activities invite die-hard fans to meet other lovers of the beautiful game through authentic local group experiences in the host cities. And the best part is that they’re already available to book! Fans will be able to celebrate this cultural event together in many ways: taking part in a traditional street football match led by former professional player Fer Piña in Mexico City, creating match-day murals at Wynwood Walls in Miami, or designing World Cup-inspired trainers in New York. Travellers who are unable to attend a match but want to meet other football fans and enjoy the match-day atmosphere can soak up the spirit of the tournament at the match-day gatherings taking place in Miami, Los Angeles, New York, New Jersey and Mexico City.
Welcoming fans and travellers from all over the world
Millions of football fans are planning to travel to attend the tournament, so hosts are preparing to cope with the huge surge in demand. Airbnb searches in host cities have risen by 80%1 and, to date, families and groups account for more than half of the travellers heading to the World Cup2. On the platform, you can find accommodation to suit all tastes and group sizes, from family-friendly spaces to stylish city-centre lofts, many of them located in authentic neighbourhoods close to the new experiences available on the platform. Here are some of the options available:
1According to Airbnb’s internal data on the increase in searches by travellers from around the world for host cities of the 2026 FIFA World Cup™ during the tournament dates compared with the previous year, as of the fourth quarter of 2025.
2Based on Airbnb’s internal data on the percentage of bookings made by groups of more than three travellers and by groups comprising at least one adult and one child for stays in host cities during the 2026 FIFA World Cup™, as of the fourth quarter of 2025.
About Airbnb
Airbnb was founded in 2007, when two of its founders hosted three guests in their flat in San Francisco. It has grown significantly since then and now has over 4 million hosts who have shared their homes with more than 1 billion travellers in almost every country in the world. Every day, hosts offer unique stays and experiences that allow travellers to get to know other communities in a more authentic way.
* A complete package for the quarter-finals includes a private Airbnb stay for two travellers, a private chef service (for one meal, either breakfast or dinner, during the trip), two Airbnb experiences and one ticket per person for the FIFA World Cup™ quarter-final match to be held in Los Angeles on 10 July. During the trip, car transfers and meals will be arranged for those who have booked. There are four places available. Each place is for one traveller and their companion. Flights are not included, and all travellers must cover the full cost of transport to Los Angeles and back to their home destination, as well as any necessary visas and insurance. You can view the full Terms and Conditions at airbnb.com/rioferdinand. You can apply for the booking free of charge. Travellers must be aged 18 or over. Geographical and other restrictions may apply to eligibility for the booking.
*All accommodation featured in this press release or email is for illustrative and inspirational purposes only. Airbnb does not endorse or promote these properties or any others available on the platform. Airbnb does not hold the copyright to these images. Airbnb receives a limited licence from its hosts who agree to the Terms of Service and upload images to the platform. Airbnb grants the recipient of this press release or email limited and revocable rights to use the images on their website solely for the purposes of this article, provided they include a link to the listing and attribute the image (if no photographer is specified, they may use “Courtesy of the Airbnb Community”) and remove the images if the rights holder objects to their use.
Source: ROMAN Reputation Matters