The jubilant mood surrounding the 2026 World Cup festivities has led to many things: Scottish soccer fans taking over Boston, Norwegians rowing en masse in New York City’s Times Square and European fans embracing American fast food on their travels through different states.
But the spike in tourism has also been good news for singles — dating app Tinder has seen a major increase in swipes, likes and matches across World Cup host cities.
Among international users in host cities, the app saw a 47 percent increase in usage, according to internal data from June 11 to 16, which was compared with data from the same time last year. In total, the U.S. is seeing over a 15 percent increase in users, around a 25 percent increase in swipe activity and nearly a 60 percent increase in matches compared to June 2025, reported Mashable.
Some of the strongest activity jumps include a more than 80 percent increase in Monterrey, Mexico, around the time that the Sweden vs. Tunisia game took place at Estadio BBVA.
In Guadalajara, Mexico, around the time of the Korea Republic vs. Czechia match at Estadio Guadalajara, there was a 74 percent increase in activity from international users, while Boston saw a 47 percent increase around the time that Iraq took on Norway.
open image in galleryThe data also shows that domestic users are driving the increase, with a 22 percent increase from this time last year.
Tinder’s Passport Mode, which lets users swipe outside of their country, has also seen an increase in usage. The New York and New Jersey area, Los Angeles and Miami are the top locations where Passport Mode has been used.
The top origin countries include Great Britain, Brazil, Thailand and Nigeria.
open image in galleryThe influx of tourism to the U.S. has led to a heartwarming embrace between different cultures.
Scottish fans visiting Boston have gone particularly viral, thanks to their stamina for partying and impressive bagpipe skills.
One viral clip, shared by @w1lly_w1lson, shows a Scot playing the patriotic song “Scotland the Brave” on bagpipes, jamming with a local bucket drummer on the street to create a unique remix. The post, which has more than 300,000 likes, was dubbed “what the World Cup is all about” by one viewer.
open image in galleryThe influx of England fans to the U.S. has also led many Americans to discover the iconic soccer anthem “Freed From Desire.”
“Why didn’t anyone tell me the England fans are this fun? They need to stay in the U.S.,” wrote @alyssataylor_xo on TikTok, sharing a clip of England fans chanting along to “Freed From Desire” and sitting on each other’s shoulders after the team won 4-2.
Europeans visiting the U.S. for the soccer event have also gone viral, particularly for their reactions to mundane American foods and restaurant chains.
German influencer named Freddy, who keeps his face hidden on X, recently went viral with his hilarious and enthusiastic reactions to trying fast food staples like Taco Bell, Waffle House and Buc-ee’s. He has amassed more than 600,000 followers on X since arriving in the U.S. for the World Cup.