Houston Rideshare Drivers Rejoice: 2026 World Cup will be in Houston!

Today, FIFA announced the cities that will be hosting games for the 2026 World Cup. Houston has officially made the list as well as the following cities: 

Atlanta
Boston
Dallas
Guadalajara
Houston
Kansas City
Los Angeles
Mexico City
Miami
Monterrey
New York / New Jersey
Philadelphia
San Francisco Bay Area
Seattle
Toronto
Vancouver

What does this mean for Uber and Lyft drivers?

If you recall Superbowl back in 2017, it will be the same type of demand. Drivers can expect to see a lot of surge pricing from both the actual games that will be in Houston, as well as events surrounding the games. Now, we can not predict the future of course but it is very unlikely the majority of rideshare drivers today will be driving in 2026 on a regular basis. The problem with these types of events is that it usually draws drivers who have “retired” back into service for that one night and even drivers from other cities like Dallas. However, Houston is supposed to have several games, so that will increase demand greatly. Because other cities will also have games, drivers who came from Dallas will stick to their city, Houston drivers will stick to their city, and drivers from other cities will be split between the two. Yes, there will be drivers who may try and drive in both Houston and Dallas if games are on different days, but very few will end up driving that much.

Here is a pro tip as a thank you for reading this: The first couple of games will be on the lower end of the earnings pole, but every game will be sold out. Why? Remember those “retired drivers mentioned before? They will give up if the first game or two busts. They will simply assume every game will be the same way. This will cause fewer drivers to be on the road for the later games. =)