An early prediction pays off. One Kansas City short-term rental host said one of her first World Cup bookings was a family from Argentina, hoping that the team would make their way back to Kansas City for the Quarterfinal match Saturday.Host Sharlonda Riley said the loyal fans made the reservation way back in 2025, long before fans knew if Argentina was a lock.”How did they know that Argentina would be, you know, in these final two, one of the final two teams this weekend? I don’t know. What they told me is that they had faith and they were just super happy to come to Kansas City to root for their country,” Riley said.Like many rental hosts, she explained, the World Cup has brought its ups and downs for the tourism industry. “Some of our bookings did get canceled,” Riley said. “Right around April, May-ish, we weren’t seeing the big fluctuation like they stated we would have.”Since the spring, all of her World Cup weekends have filled up, and Riley said she’s welcomed fans from around the world. Her busy calendar, she said, is due in part to her proximity to places like downtown.”We’ve been hosting here just a regular Airbnb for the last six years. But with the World Cup, we landed big time. We’re about 13, 14 minutes from the stadium. We’re literally less than five minutes from downtown Kansas City. And then they’re doing fan fest, you know, about 6 or 7 minutes from here,” Riley said.But her earliest World Cup customers had already bet big. A bet that will pay off this weekend.”Argentina! They booked. They did not cancel,” Riley said. “Typically, our reservations are booked a month, maybe two months in advance. But six to seven months is a huge difference.”
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
An early prediction pays off.
One Kansas City short-term rental host said one of her first World Cup bookings was a family from Argentina, hoping that the team would make their way back to Kansas City for the Quarterfinal match Saturday.
Host Sharlonda Riley said the loyal fans made the reservation way back in 2025, long before fans knew if Argentina was a lock.
“How did they know that Argentina would be, you know, in these final two, one of the final two teams this weekend? I don’t know. What they told me is that they had faith and they were just super happy to come to Kansas City to root for their country,” Riley said.
Like many rental hosts, she explained, the World Cup has brought its ups and downs for the tourism industry.
“Some of our bookings did get canceled,” Riley said. “Right around April, May-ish, we weren’t seeing the big fluctuation like they stated we would have.”
Since the spring, all of her World Cup weekends have filled up, and Riley said she’s welcomed fans from around the world. Her busy calendar, she said, is due in part to her proximity to places like downtown.
“We’ve been hosting here just a regular Airbnb for the last six years. But with the World Cup, we landed big time. We’re about 13, 14 minutes from the stadium. We’re literally less than five minutes from downtown Kansas City. And then they’re doing fan fest, you know, about 6 or 7 minutes from here,” Riley said.
But her earliest World Cup customers had already bet big. A bet that will pay off this weekend.
“Argentina! They booked. They did not cancel,” Riley said. “Typically, our reservations are booked a month, maybe two months in advance. But six to seven months is a huge difference.”
