FIFA World Cup linked to dip in romance, study reveals

Couples are bracing for a dip in romance during the upcoming FIFA World Cup, according to a survey of 3,000 U.S. soccer fans in relationships conducted by betting.net™. On average, fans expect intimacy to decrease by 22% compared to periods outside the tournament. More than half say they would choose an important World Cup match over a romantic evening with their partner.

Key findings:

• U.S. soccer fans in relationships expect a 22% dip in intimacy during the FIFA World Cup; couples in Washington lead the pack with an expected dip of 44%
• 57% would choose a World Cup match over a romantic evening with their partner
• 35% of fans expect to spend less time with their partner throughout the tournament
• Looking back at past major soccer tournaments, 15% of fans say they noticed a drop in intimacy

Majority of soccer fans prioritize World Cup over romance

With only a month to go until the World Cup kicks off, soccer fans around the globe are gearing up to watch their national teams in action. And it seems their partners might start to notice the consequences. 57% of U.S. soccer fans in a relationship say they would choose an important World Cup match over a romantic evening with their partner.

Washington fans expect biggest drop in intimacy during World Cup

Soccer fans in relationships expect a 22% drop in intimacy during the World Cup: falling from 3.2 times per week during a "normal" period to 2.5 times during the tournament. Out of all states, the expected drop is highest in Washington, where fans anticipate 44% less cuddle time with their partners. Colorado follows at 41%, and Nevada at 34%.

Soccer fans in North Carolina expect the smallest dip, with an average decline in intimacy of 8% during the World Cup. Oregon also expects little change at 9%, followed by Oklahoma and Alabama, where fans anticipate 10% less intimacy on average.

When asked about their experiences during previous major soccer events, 15% of respondents said they noticed a significant slump in intimacy with their partner.

One-third spend less time with partners during World Cup

We also asked about overall time spent together, aside from intimacy, and 35% of fans said they expect to spend less time with their partner during the World Cup. Partners of soccer fans in South Carolina can pretty much forget about date nights this time around; 68% of fans say they expect to spend less quality time with their partners, the highest percentage in the country. Arkansas comes next, with 67% expecting a dip, followed by Mississippi in third place at 60%.

Meanwhile, Kentucky fans are the least likely to expect a dip, with just 11% saying they’ll spend less time with their partners during the tournament. Massachusetts records the second-lowest national average at 17%, followed by Oregon, which ranks third-lowest at 18%.

Methodology

betting.net™ commissioned a survey in April 2026 among 3,000 soccer fans in the U.S. who were in a relationship at the time of the survey. With the FIFA World Cup in mind, respondents were asked whether they would prioritize intimacy with their partner or an important match during the upcoming FIFA World Cup, how often per week they are intimate with their partner during a “normal” week versus their expected frequency during a World Cup week, and to what extent they noticed changes in intimacy during previous major soccer tournaments. Of all respondents, 56% identified as male, 43% as female, and 1% as non-binary. The average age was 38. Due to insufficient data, the following states were excluded from the study: Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.