The Nicknames That Made Everyone Curious

Search interest around several 2026 host cities shows fans are increasingly curious about local identity, particularly the nicknames attached to each destination. New York, Boston, Toronto, and Kansas City generated some of the heaviest activity:

Given how many of these nicknames are pulling organic attention, they may become an increasingly useful tool for tourism boards looking to market the character and image of their cities during the tournament buildup.

"Is It Safe?" — The Cities Raising Red Flags

Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the White House Task Force on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, said last year that the U.S. alone is projected to receive between five and seven million international visitors during the tournament. Similar figures are also forecast across Mexico and Canada combined. And, as anybody planning a trip abroad usually does sooner or later, plenty are asking Google for its opinion on safety in the following host cities:

What's particularly interesting here is that, despite Mexico traditionally carrying more reputational baggage in travel discussions, American host cities are the ones generating the bulk of these searches instead. Toronto drew just 50 monthly hits, while Mexico City came in lowest at only 20. Make of that what you will.

"Why Is It So Expensive?" — Cost Anxiety Across Host Cities

Sticker shock is already becoming part of the 2026 World Cup conversation. Online discussion has been packed with worries around soaring flight prices, hotel rates, and the expense of bouncing between host cities. Our research found that following your team from the group stage through to the final may cost anywhere from $17,728 to $26,134. The following destinations are clearly making people the most nervous:

Affordability looks set to become one of the defining storylines around the 2026 World Cup. Years of rising demand have gradually pushed the tournament closer toward luxury-trip territory, something hardly helped by the pricing attached to several U.S. host cities.

This may also shape how deeply fans end up following the tournament itself. An England supporter, for example, might decide to stay around nearby fixtures rather than chase every match across the continent. Others may hold off entirely until the knockout picture becomes clearer before committing to the trip. There is also the possibility that wealthier visitors and corporate guests become increasingly visible inside stadiums, rather than the tournament feeling remotely attainable for the average supporter.

The World Is Genuinely Confused About These Cities

Another wave of searches showed plenty still trying to wrap their heads around North America's stranger geographic quirks and cultural details. We found everything from questions about state names and capital cities to sports leagues and even local laws. Have a look:

To be fair, several of these are genuinely confusing. Kansas City, for example, is in Missouri because the original city was founded there first, long before Kansas later developed its own separate Kansas City across the state border. Albany remained New York's capital for historical and geographic reasons dating back centuries. And yes, New Jersey still bans self-service gas stations. Mocked by many, appreciated by anyone tired of petrol smell sticking to their hands afterward.

Sinking, Smog, and Fog — Environmental Worries

Incoming visitors also appear to be preparing themselves for the environmental realities attached to certain host cities. The concerns weighing most heavily on people's minds include:

It's telling how strongly certain places are tied to particular environmental reputations. For many, San Francisco immediately brings thoughts of fog and unexpectedly cold summers. Mexico City, meanwhile, triggered questions around altitude, air quality, and even the city physically sinking, which, by the way, parts of it genuinely are at rates exceeding half an inch per month. Conditions swing so much between host cities that some fans may end up packing for three different climates inside the same suitcase.

Getting There — Travel Headaches Visitors Should Expect

Previous World Cups had very different travel realities. Qatar 2022 was perhaps the most compact tournament in modern history. Fans could realistically attend more than one match on the same day without even changing hotels. The 2026 edition will be far more demanding, and people are already looking up all sorts of traffic and travel-related questions, including:

Even before World Cup traffic enters the equation, Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport remains the busiest in the world, handling more than 106 million passengers across 2025 alone. Chicago O'Hare leads global rankings for aircraft movements. Meanwhile, several host cities, like LA and Houston, made headlines recently as North America's most congestion-heavy urban areas. Leaving extra time between flights, avoiding overly tight schedules, and staying relatively close to stadium areas may end up becoming just as important as securing match tickets themselves.

Read more: The best soccer betting strategies for beginners

The Funniest and Most Unexpected Questions

Then came the searches that fit absolutely nowhere and, every now and then, made us do a double-take. Here are the five most unexpected ones:

"Why is it so hard to quit smoking Vancouver?"
30 searches/month · Vancouver
We are fairly confident nobody is literally addicted to smoking Vancouver. The wording likely comes from fragmented search behavior mixed with the city's long-running cannabis culture and laid-back West Coast image.
"Why is it always sunny in Philadelphia?"
20 searches/month · Philadelphia
Pretty safe to say this one has more to do with the TV show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia than anything else. In reality, the city averages around 207 sunny days per year, which lands fairly middle-of-the-pack by U.S. standards.
"Why is Seattle called Rat City?"
10 searches/month · Seattle
"Rat City" traces back to the wartime acronym "Relocation and Training Center," once tied to the White Center area near Seattle during World War II. Still, the nickname perhaps lands a little too perfectly given Seattle also ranked 17th on Orkin's 2025 list of America's "rattiest" cities.
"Why is Toronto not the capital of Canada?"
20 searches/month · Toronto
Toronto is Canada's largest city, biggest economic center, most internationally recognizable urban area, and home to major sports teams, finance, media, a massive skyline, and millions of residents. Queen Victoria, however, chose Ottawa as the capital in 1857 largely because of its strategic location during a period of intense political rivalry between English and French Canadians.
"Why is Dallas so empty?"
10 searches/month · Dallas
Despite housing more than 8 million people across the wider metro area, Dallas spreads outward rather than upward. Large highways, extensive suburban development, wide streets, and business districts that empty after work hours can make parts of the city feel unexpectedly quiet.

What Google Searches Suggest About the Road to 2026

Google data linked with 2026 FIFA World Cup host cities suggests fan interest is stretching far beyond soccer itself. Alongside curiosity around stadiums and fixtures, people are looking up everything from city nicknames and safety concerns to weather conditions, traffic headaches, local prices, and other odd little details connected to each destination. New York, Boston, Toronto, Kansas City, and San Francisco generated some of the strongest overall activity.

As the tournament gets nearer, attention will probably shift toward more specific and practical questions. Things like airport transfer times. The best areas to stay. How difficult stadiums are to reach on matchday. Fans are also likely to spend more time looking into safety after dark, public transportation, hotel rates, fan zones, traffic buildup, and which neighborhoods they may want to avoid altogether.