The World Cup That’s Worth $80 Billion

The FIFA World Cup 2026, which kicked off on June 11 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is not just the largest football tournament in history — it may also be one of the most economically consequential sporting events ever staged.

Featuring 48 teams for the first time, the tournament is projected to generate $80.1 billion in global gross output and create approximately 824,000 jobs worldwide. According to a joint study by FIFA and the World Trade Organization, the event could drive up to $40.9 billion in global GDP and deliver $8.28 billion in additional social benefits.

The United States stands to capture the lion’s share of those gains. Tourism Economics estimates that 1.24 million international travelers will arrive in the US alone, contributing roughly $17.2 billion to the country’s economy. Across the three host nations, 13.1 million visitors are projected, requiring 21.3 million hotel room nights — and driving hotel occupancy spikes of over 1,400% in cities like Dallas, Miami, and Houston.

Yet not everyone is buying the hype. In a research note published June 3, Goldman Sachs economists Kevin Daly and Mambuna Njie argued that hosting a World Cup produces a marginally positive but statistically insignificant effect on real output, with long-run macroeconomic impact that is effectively zero — a stark contrast to the official projections.

The sports economy at large is forecast to reach $8.8 trillion by 2050, and the World Cup is seen as a key catalyst — though economists warn its transformative power depends on trust, openness, and community investment, not stadium capacity alone.

The final whistle is still weeks away. The economic verdict may take years.