Lighthouse Quick Takes - World Cup '26 group stage host city power ranking

In this Lighthouse Quick Take, Blake Reiter breaks down newly released World Cup host city power rankings following the finalized group draw. Using analysis from Daniel Foreman, the ranking assesses which cities are positioned to see the strongest travel demand based on matchups, team appeal, scheduling, and travel connectivity.

Blake walks through why cities like New York, Dallas, and Boston rise to the top while others face more limited upside despite hosting multiple matches. The discussion focuses on how star power, repeat appearances, weekend scheduling, and regional travel patterns shape demand potential. Listeners will come away with a clearer view of which host cities are likely to experience the most meaningful commercial impact and why.