Airbnb offered $750 to Americans to open up their homes during the World Cup—mostly women took it up and now they’re earning thousands

The average host short-term rental host will get a $3,000 payday for renting out their space during the World Cup. Women are jumping on the opportunity.

Fans from around the world and North America have descended upon the continent’s host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, filling up stadiums, hotels, and increasingly, local homes. As the first week of the knockout rounds comes to a close, the soccer frenzy is translating into a short-term rental boom, with locals cashing in by renting out their homes. Women hosts are emerging as some of the tournament’s biggest winners.

Women Airbnb hosts across the World Cup host countries of the U.S., Mexico, and Canada  make up the most of tournament-time active hosts (53%), as well as bookings (50.5%). Plus, many took advantage of the company’s payday initiative to open their doors for the global competition. Women accounted for almost three in five sign-ups to Airbnb’s host incentive: a $750 cash bump to any new home hosts who welcome their first guests before July 31, 2026 in eligible cities across North America. 

It’s estimated that hosts will earn a total of $212 million across the 16 host cities, with the average host getting a $3,000 payday for renting their space during the tournament. And for many women, tapping into that passive income could be a real lifeline in a cost-of-living crisis. About one in three women in tournament host cities say they are less financially secure than 12 months ago, according to a Focaldata study. And the vast majority say they’re concerned about living costs rising over the next year; three in four believe that earning $3,000 in hosting income would make a meaningful difference to their finances.

“The impact that it has with women has been really encouraging,” Juan David Borrero, global head of partnerships and business development at Airbnb, tells Fortune. “There’s a lot of burden in terms of the expenses of life that become really expensive…So, for them to be able to think of how they can be creative with the management of the expenses of the household, hosting becomes a solution.”

Now, thousands of women across North America are watching their calendars book out and bank deposits rise. Some are using the passive income to pad their travel fund; others are reinvesting back into their businesses. And women opening their homes for the World Cup tell Fortune that it was a prime opportunity to capitalize on one of the largest global sporting events ever hosted in their backyards.

“Culturally, women tend to be the more host-like people,” Nadia Giordani, an Airbnb host in Atlanta, tells Fortune. “Taking that into consideration, women are definitely more independent than historically, and they have found an opportunity where we can be the nurturers that we tend to be naturally, on a platform that also allows us to monetize from being who we are.”

Meet the hosts earning thousands during the World Cup

For homeowners near host stadiums, the tournament has turned spare bedrooms and second homes into prime real estate. 55-year-old Jennifer Smith is hosting World Cup attendees at two of her North Texas properties, cozy Americana-style homes complete with fire pits, porch swings, and plenty of room for large groups. Her two listings are nestled in the area of Historic Downtown McKinney, less than an hour drive from AT&T Stadium.

Courtesy of Jennifer Smith

At first, Smith didn’t think much of the fact that Dallas was connected to the tournament. But when the booking requests first crossed her inbox, she knew the World Cup would be a major boon for business.

“It was not on my radar in any form until I got the first reservation, and it was a group of friends from Japan. They sent me a message and said they were coming to the World Cup,” the Airbnb host tells Fortune. “They have never been to the States, and they wanted to find something that felt very much like America to them. They saw our historic home, and that to them looked like America.”

Smith’s revenue increased a few thousand dollars this World Cup, up around 78% compared to this stretch of summer the year before. In 2025, she listed for around $155 a night—during the tournament, she charged around $185 to $225 a night. The month of June was entirely booked out, and July had quickly filled up as games have been announced. And in the Lone Star state, reaching capacity during the balmy summer months is an anomaly; now, her schedule has reached at least 80% occupancy, just as much as the crisp fall and winter months. 

Most of her guests are stateside tourists, the homeowner says, and she plans on reinvesting the extra earnings back into her short-term rental business. 

Giordani is also renting out her two-bedroom tiny home during the World Cup. And the micro cabin in Atlanta, Georgia’s Cabbagetown neighborhood is just a stone’s throw away—or a 15-minute drive—from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The 64-year-old has enjoyed a 40% rise in Airbnb revenue from hosting during the matches, with her rates edging up between $80 and $100 nightly during the tournament compared to last year. And she’s sharing the wealth by cutting a deal for traveling soccer fans. Giordani gave a 20% discount to guests who booked in advance with no cancellation, and most took her up on the offer. 

Courtesy of Gabi Hart

June was completely booked out at Giordani’s Atlanta property, and just a few days remain open in July. During slower months like these, her micro cabin would only get to 65% capacity. Bookings have been trickling in for four months as the teams advanced, and higher-stakes matches were confirmed. Now, she’s outfitting her compact rental with FIFA swag for her incoming guests traveling in from abroad and all corners of the U.S. and the little extra cushion of cash she’s getting from this year’s World Cup windfall is going straight back into her bank account. 

“We’re self-employed. It’s a fluctuating economy, therefore I always make sure that I have a savings pad to cover anything,” the Superhost says. “I do [Airbnb] for traveling and fun things like that, but the excess will definitely go to savings.”

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com