Demand for accommodation in Atlanta rises ahead of England v Argentina semi-final

Demand for accommodation in Atlanta has surged ahead of the England v Argentina World Cup match tonight.

After England beat Norway 2-1 during extra time on Saturday, the team will now meet Argentina’s squad in the southern US city for the semi-final.

Booking.com said that between 9 and 11 July, searches by UK travellers for Atlanta rose by 1,902 per cent for stays taking place between 14 and 16 July.

Searches do not necessarily indicate booking patterns, but they give a good outline of how eager English travellers are to look into booking a place to stay in Atlanta ahead of the match.

Argentina fans have also caused a surge in travel. Bhanu Chopra, founder of RateGain Travel Technologies and creator of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Market Pulse Index, told CNBC that flight bookings from Argentina to Atlanta more than doubled since the tournament kicked off, rising nearly 108 per cent.

This semi-final will be the first time the teams have faced each other since 2005 and the first competitive match between the sides since the 2002 World Cup, meaning Lionel Messi has never faced the Three Lions until now.

Historical tensions are also at play between the two countries, with the Falklands War still considered a politically sensitive topic.

Atlanta Police are aware of the tensions between the countries and have confirmed that security will be increased ahead of the match at Atlanta Stadium.

Demand for accommodation in other host cities has also surged amid football fans following their teams around the World Cup stages.

In Miami, ahead of England v Norway’s quarter final, Booking.com said that searches by UK travellers were up 403 per cent.

Comparison site Expedia.co.uk reported similar figures, saying that lodging searches between 5 and 8 July have increased by 300 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Read more: Demand surges for Miami hotels ahead of England v Norway World Cup match