A jersey can do what a guidebook cannot: it gets you welcomed. That single idea opens the door to a much bigger trend, the rise of sports tourism as one of the most powerful forces in experiential travel today. With the FIFA World Cup 2026 set to take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and cities like Toronto preparing to take center stage, the momentum behind sports-led travel is only accelerating.

In this episode, Dan is joined by co-host Aizaz Sheikh, Senior Marketing Leader in Adventure Travel and a lifelong soccer fan, bringing both an operator’s perspective and a genuine passion for the game to the conversation. Together, they sit down with Brandon Ehrhardt, VP of Marketing at Expedia Group, and Daniel Velásquez, Founder and COO of Homefans, to unpack what both the data and on-the-ground experience are revealing. Brandon shares the true scale of sports travel, why it’s a structural shift rather than a seasonal spike, and how travelers are increasingly extending their trips well beyond match day. We also explore the “spillover effect,” where demand expands into nearby cities as fans optimize for price, stay longer, and explore more.