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Category: Sport & Tourism
The heat is changing travel preferences in Spain: the north of the country is becoming the top destination for summer vacations. According to data from the Rentalia platform, by August, tourists had booked nearly 90% of short-term rental properties along the Spanish coast.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino will hold an emergency meeting with the organization’s leadership in Morocco on Wednesday following the collapse of a multibillion-dollar deal to sell commercial rights, which sparked an open conflict within world soccer and has become one of the most serious challenges for the FIFA president during his tenure.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup set a record not only for soccer but also for the short-term rental market. Over the 39 days of the tournament, owners of apartments and homes in the 16 host cities earned $1.33 billion in revenue—$276.7 million, or 26%, more than during the same period last year. This is according to data from the analytics company AirDNA.
Romania ranked third in a list of Europe’s most dangerous countries for drivers, compiled by the Swiss company Vignette Switzerland. Only Serbia and Bulgaria ranked higher. The study was published in the midst of the summer vacation season, when millions of Europeans set out on road trips.
Demand for short-term rentals in Albania is growing faster than supply, which has driven up prices. According to the analytics platform AirDNA, the market posted some of its strongest results in recent years this summer.
FIFA has scrapped one of its most controversial projects. Following a wave of criticism and threats of a boycott from major soccer federations, the organization decided against involving private investors in the commercial rights to the World Cup.
For the first time in a long while, Turkey’s tourism industry has faced a decline in revenue. In the second quarter of 2026, tourism revenue fell by 2.6% year-over-year to $15.9 billion. At the same time, the number of foreign visitors declined, while Turkish residents themselves began traveling abroad for vacations significantly more often.
UEFA and all 55 of its member national soccer associations have stated that they will not participate in tournaments organized by FIFA, including the World Cup, until the international federation abandons its plans to involve private investors in the commercial rights to its competitions.
Paris has unexpectedly topped the global ranking of cities with the best street food. It surpassed traditional culinary destinations and took first place thanks to its wide variety of dishes and the high ratings of its establishments. These are the findings of a study by Radical Storage, which surveyed 6,897 street food vendors in the world’s 100 most popular cities.
Zinedine Zidane has officially been named head coach of the French national team, putting an end to years of anticipation surrounding one of the most coveted positions in world soccer. The former national team captain has replaced Didier Deschamps, who, over the course of 14 years, transformed Les Bleus into one of the most successful national teams of modern times.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has found himself at the center of an investigation launched by Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has demanded that the head of world soccer provide documents detailing FIFA’s contacts with U.S. President Donald Trump, his administration, and his family’s business.
For the first time, Italy will extend the hours of operation for its most-visited landmarks during the peak of the tourist season. From August 1 through 31, the Colosseum and the Pantheon in Rome, as well as Sforza Castle in Milan, will remain open until late in the evening as part of a pilot program designed to reduce lines, redistribute tourist flows, and make visiting these attractions more comfortable during the summer heat.
An advisory group to the Council of Europe identified seven instances of suspicious activity in the betting market during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. FIFA, however, states that its monitoring found no evidence of match-fixing or other forms of manipulation.
Bucharest’s two airports handled a record 8.46 million passengers in the first half of 2026. Aurel Vlaicu Bucharest-Băneasa Airport, in particular, exceeded last year’s total passenger traffic in just six months. This was reported by the Bucharest National Airports Company (CNAB).
U.S. President Donald Trump is considering supporting FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s candidacy for the position of UN Secretary-General following the end of António Guterres’s term.
The first-ever World Cup featuring 48 national teams made history not only by crowning a new champion, but also for its record-breaking scale, high scoring, and a string of individual achievements by the top players.
U.S. President Donald Trump presented the Spanish national team with the World Cup trophy amid boos from the stands. He walked onto the field at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino after the final whistle. According to the White House press pool, the background noise in the stadium was about 78 decibels, and when Trump appeared on the field, the whistling and roaring raised it to 84—the level of a diesel truck driving by.
The World Cup, which was hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico over the course of a month, drew mixed reviews in the international press. While the American media calls the tournament a historic success that has changed the country’s attitude toward soccer, Mexican publications note that the festivities in the stadiums ultimately failed to translate into an economic breakthrough. RBC has compiled a selection of the most notable media reactions.
The Spanish national team won the 2026 FIFA World Cup after defeating Argentina in a dramatic final match. The decisive match of the first-ever World Cup featuring 48 teams took place at a packed MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford and ended with a 1–0 victory for the Europeans after extra time.
The heat that accompanied the World Cup in the United States brought to light the issue of whether sports infrastructure is prepared for climate change. After the tournament, experts urged stadium owners to move away from relying on air conditioning and focus on modernizing the venues to make them safer for players and fans.
