The 2026 FIFA World Cup isn’t just generating headlines on the pitch. According to new research from media intelligence company CARMA, ride-hailing services have become a major talking point as millions of fans travel between airports, stadiums and host cities.
The analysis found that Uber, Lyft and Waymo are increasingly being viewed as essential tournament infrastructure rather than simply transport providers, with discussions focusing on affordability, congestion, parking and passenger safety.
Uber Dominates The World Cup Mobility Conversation
CARMA analysed 1,536 news articles alongside more than 13,000 social media mentions covering the three ride-hailing brands.
Uber emerged as the clear leader, accounting for over 75% of editorial coverage while generating approximately 264,300 social media engagements throughout the tournament conversation.
Much of Uber’s positive coverage centres around its partnership with It’s a Penalty, an anti-human trafficking campaign designed to raise awareness and improve safeguarding across the World Cup’s three host nations. Reports also positioned Uber as one of the preferred late-night transport options for supporters travelling between fan zones and stadiums.
However, greater visibility has also brought greater criticism.
According to CARMA, Uber recorded the highest level of negative sentiment among the three companies, with 31.1% of coverage driven by concerns surrounding surge pricing, transport disruption and driver-related incidents. Researchers also noted that many people use the word “Uber” as shorthand for ride-hailing in general, meaning the company often receives criticism for wider industry issues rather than brand-specific problems.
Waymo Showcases The Future Of Autonomous Transport
While Waymo represented only 3% of total media coverage, the autonomous vehicle company generated strong engagement relative to its size.
Industry commentators have even described the tournament as the world’s first “autonomous vehicle World Cup”, with Waymo’s expanding driverless taxi services offering fans a glimpse into how major sporting events could be navigated in the future.
The coverage wasn’t entirely positive, however.
Media reports questioned whether autonomous vehicles can cope with the challenges of large-scale sporting events, including traffic congestion, crowded pick-up areas and unpredictable pedestrian movement around venues.
Lyft Earns The Strongest Positive Sentiment
Although Lyft accounted for 21% of editorial coverage, it achieved the highest positive sentiment score among the three mobility providers.
CARMA found that 41.7% of Lyft’s coverage was positive, largely thanks to customer-focused promotions rather than sponsorship visibility.
A key driver was DoorDash’s DashPass programme, which doubled ride discounts from 5% to 10% across 13 World Cup host cities. The initiative positioned Lyft as a more affordable transport option for supporters travelling to matches and airports during the tournament.
Parking, Pricing And Safety Dominate Fan Discussions
Across all three brands, the report found that practical travel concerns consistently outweighed traditional sponsorship messaging.
The biggest themes identified throughout the coverage included:
- Parking pressure – 396 mentions
- Ride-hailing pricing – 326 mentions
- Safety concerns – 317 mentions
Rather than focusing solely on brand partnerships, much of the conversation centred on the real-world challenges fans experienced while navigating host cities during one of the world’s largest sporting events.
World Cup Creates Opportunity And Risk For Mobility Brands
CARMA believes the findings demonstrate how major sporting tournaments increasingly place transport providers under the spotlight.
As millions of supporters rely on ride-hailing services throughout the competition, operational performance has become just as important as sponsorship campaigns. Pricing transparency, congestion management and passenger safety now play a significant role in shaping public perception alongside traditional marketing efforts.
For more information about the research, visit the official CARMA World Cup Mobility Report: https://carma.com/fifa-world-cup-2026-who-is-winning-off-the-pitch-edtion-3-mobility/
You can also learn more about the mobility providers featured in the report by visiting their official websites:
- Uber – https://www.uber.com/
- Lyft – https://www.lyft.com/
- Waymo – https://waymo.com/
