Insured travel to World Cup finalists rises 26.6%, Squaremouth reports

Travel insurance purchases for trips to the two finalist countries of the 2026 FIFA World Cup increased by a combined 26.6% year on year, according to new data from US travel insurance marketplace Squaremouth.

Argentina and Spain, which contested this year’s final, recorded increases of 55.9% and 23.6% respectively in insured trips scheduled for September and October.

The figures, published in Squaremouth’s third-quarter Travel Insurance Trends Report, suggest that the visibility generated by major international sporting events could influence travel demand beyond the tournament itself.

Other participating countries also recorded increases in insured travel, including Morocco (34.2%), Egypt (26.4%), Brazil (15.3%), Norway (14.3%), and Canada (13.1%).

The World Cup was held across the US, Canada, and Mexico, exposing American audiences to competing nations and their cultures throughout the tournament.

“Major events can put destinations in front of millions of people in a very concentrated period of time, and for travellers who may not have previously considered a country, seeing its culture, cities, and people highlighted throughout an event like the World Cup can give them a new reason to add that destination to their travel plans,” said Jacqueline Mondelli, Chief Marketing Officer at Squaremouth.

Travel insurance purchases continue to grow

The findings come amid wider growth in Squaremouth’s travel insurance sales, with the number of insured trips increasing 12.9% year on year during the third quarter of 2026.

Meanwhile, average insured trip costs rose 5.1%, slowing from the 17.4% increase recorded in the previous quarter.

The figures indicate continued demand for insured international travel despite higher trip costs, although Squaremouth’s data does not establish how much of the destination-specific growth was directly attributable to the World Cup.

For travel insurers and distributors, changes in destination demand following major sporting events may provide useful insights into purchasing patterns and potential shifts in the geographical distribution of insured trips.

Squaremouth said it would monitor whether similar trends emerge following the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Major sporting events are also helping to drive investment in global tourism, with the FIFA World Cup 2026 and LA 2028 Olympics among the events highlighted in recent research from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).