The World Cup Will Redefine How U.S. Cities Understand Mobility

InnovationThe World Cup Will Redefine How U.S. Cities Understand MobilityByBryan Mistele,Forbes Councils Member.for Forbes Technology CouncilCOUNCIL POSTExpertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. | Membership (fee-based)Jun 09, 2026, 09:30am EDTBryan Mistele, Co-founder and CEO of INRIX. getty​This summer, millions of people across the globe will watch the World Cup. But some observers will be watching U.S. host cities for something other than corner kicks and penalty shoot-outs.​The 2026 World Cup will be one of the largest real-world tests of human mobility ever conducted.​The last two FIFA World Cups in Qatar and Russia saw upwards of 1 million and 3 million visitors, respectively. The U.S. is expecting anywhere from 1.25 to 10 million visitors in June and July. Millions of fans, most of them international visitors, will move through unfamiliar cities, making decisions without the habits, routines or local knowledge that transportation systems typically rely on to run smoothly.​Moving people through transportation networks efficiently isn’t just a problem of numbers. It depends on predictable behavior. This year’s World Cup is a moment when our understanding of mobility will radically change.​The Core Shift: Behaviors Change Mobility​Most urban transportation systems are built around predictability. Everyday commuters follow repeatable patterns. Cities can predict peak travel times. These static assumptions form the basis for cities’ infrastructures and planning models.​But large events like concerts or games can disrupt predictability. An event on the scale of the World Cup will all but shatter it.​World Cup visitors behave differently from commuters. They travel to stadiums at unusual times, cluster unpredictably and rely heavily on navigation tools, ride-hailing and walking—all in unfamiliar environments. Fans navigate a new city, and their decisions will be shaped by uncertainty rather than rout...