The World Cup Travel Guide: What Your Ticket Doesn’t Cover
St. Petersburg, FL – June 9, 2026 — The 2026 FIFA World Cup is officially underway, spanning 16 host cities across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. As the largest tournament in the event’s history, and one of the biggest travel moments of the decade, over 1.2 million international visitors are expected to travel to the U.S. alone.
Experts at Squaremouth, a leading travel insurance marketplace, warn travelers not to get so caught up in the excitement of the World Cup that travel insurance becomes an afterthought. While a ticket gets travelers through the gate, it doesn’t cover what happens before they get there, or when something goes wrong.
Here’s what World Cup travelers should know:
For American Travelers:
While you may only be traveling a short distance to catch the USMNT in group play, that doesn’t make your trip risk-free. Between non-refundable World Cup tickets, hotel, and flight costs, there’s a significant investment on the line, and an unexpected event like a medical emergency or family crisis could put all of it at risk. That’s where travel insurance comes in:
- Trip Cancellation: reimbursing prepaid, non-refundable costs if a covered reason forces you to cancel before departure
- Trip Interruption: covering the cost to return home as well as reimbursing any unused prepaid expenses, if you are forced to cut your trip short
- Travel Delays: reimbursing meals, accommodations, and rebooking costs if you experience an extended flight delay
- Baggage Loss or Theft: replacing essential items if your luggage is lost or stolen at a busy host city
“Many Americans often overlook purchasing travel insurance for domestic trips,” says Chrissy Valdez, Senior Director of Operations at Squaremouth. “However, when you have thousands of dollars invested in a specific date, the situation changes. A single flight cancellation or an unexpected illness can jeopardize your entire investment.”
For International Visitors:
A World Cup trip is likely to cost you more than $5,000 per person once flights, hotels, match tickets, and other expenses are included. That’s a significant financial investment to risk without protection, which is why trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage are just as important for you as they are for U.S. visitors.
At the same time, you may not realize your domestic health insurance often provides little or no coverage in the U.S. This is especially important during a summer tournament, when extreme heat, dehydration, and heatstroke can quickly turn a memorable trip into a medical emergency. And if something does go wrong, healthcare costs in the U.S. can be significant.
For example, a typical emergency room visit can cost nearly $3,000 on average and can be much higher for critical conditions, such as a heart attack, which can average over $21,000. With this in mind, it’s wise to consider a comprehensive travel insurance policy with at least $100,000 in emergency medical coverage. The right policy can help protect not only your financial investment in the trip itself, but also from potentially devastating medical expenses if an emergency occurs while visiting the U.S.
To find the best policy for your World Cup travel plans, compare policies on squaremouth.com.