"The World Cup stadium is also hot with love … Dating app 'Tinder' matches surge by 60%"

*This content was translated by AI.

The World Cup mode is heating up even outside the stadiums.

During the 2026 North American World Cup hosting period, usage of the dating app Tinder in the United States surged significantly. According to internal data from Tinder obtained by Mashable, compared to the same period last year, the number of users in the U.S. increased by more than 15%, swipes rose by approximately 25%, and matches jumped by nearly 60%. Similar overall increases were confirmed in Mexico and Canada; among foreign users based in host cities, the average increase was 47%. These figures were collected between June 11 and 16 and exclude typical summer travel growth.

By city, Monterrey, Mexico, where Sweden played Tunisia, saw the highest increase at 80%. Guadalajara, Mexico, where South Korea faced Czechia, recorded a 74% surge—the very match in which South Korea won 2-1. Boston, site of the Iraq vs. Norway game, also rose by 47%. Domestic U.S. users were no exception; according to Tinder, swipe activity among U.S. users increased by 22%.

Usage of "Passport Mode," a feature allowing users to swipe (swiping right for interest or left to pass through the profile screen) from cities other than their current location, also surged. Cities with the highest influx of foreign users included New York-New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Miami. The top countries of origin (excluding host nations) were the United Kingdom, Brazil, Thailand, and Nigeria in that order. This trend is interpreted as reflecting demand for virtually "entering" cities hosting World Cup matches to experience the local atmosphere.

This is not the first time a major sports event has boosted dating app usage. Mashable previously reported that during the Olympics, Tinder users increasingly attempted virtual entries into athletes' villages via Passport Mode. The World Cup, with its longer duration and more host cities than the Olympics, is expected to generate an even broader "dating app boom."

Given the month-long nature of the World Cup, this dating app surge is projected to continue even as the Round of 16 knockout stage officially begins.

At the venues, celebrity attendance at matches continued to draw attention. Channing Tatum of "Magic Mike" made headlines by dressing up as Norwegian football star Erling Haaland at a Boston match and cheering alongside fans. Antonella Roccuzzo, wife of Argentine legend Lionel Messi, watched her husband's 17th and 18th World Cup goals live from the stadium with their three sons. Social media star Paris Hilton visited the Los Angeles venue with her daughter. "Since most active players attend matches accompanied by their wives or girlfriends—so-called 'WAGs (Wives and Girlfriends, a term referring to players' spouses and partners)'—E! Online humorously added at the end of the article that "matching with World Cup stars might be best approached without high expectations."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.