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

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 a