The 2026 World Cup generated an economic impact of nearly 20 billion dollars in the United States, according to estimates from the Bank of America published the day before the final, which this Sunday pits Argentina against Spain at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
The CEO of Bank of America, Brian Moynihan, revealed the figure in an interview with CBS News and framed it within an even larger global effect: "The total amount generated economically around FIFA is about $40 billion, with $20 billion coming from the United States, and even when observing host cities like Kansas City, we can see faster growth and spending rates compared to other cities."
The driving force behind that growth was tourism, spending in bars and restaurants, and the overall boost in private spending in the 11 host cities in the United States.
Kansas City, with just 520,000 residents, expected to welcome 650,000 visitors and recorded a 16.7% increase in tourism spending in the first weeks of the tournament, with 82% of visitors' budgets allocated to restaurants and food.
A foreign visitor spent an average of 5,000 dollars during the tournament, about 10 times more than an American tourist.
Globally, a study by Bloomberg Intelligence estimated that FIFA could generate approximately 9 billion dollars in revenue from the World Cup, which would represent an increase of over 40% compared to the record of 6.314 billion set during the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The same report projected a boost in global sales of up to $80 billion, "with an anticipated acceleration in spending in the sectors of tourism, hospitality, gastronomy, retail, advertising, and consumer goods."
The economic impact in the United States was about 10 times greater than that recorded in Mexico, the other major host, where the consulting firm Deloitte estimated an impact of 2.543 billion dollars, generating 101,255 temporary jobs.
Despite the record figures, analysts warn that the result fell short of expectations: a prior official report from FIFA estimated an impact of over $30 billion in gross economic activity just for the U.S. territory.
The U.S. Department of Commerce reported a year-over-year increase of only 0.2% in the arrival of international air travelers in June, the first month of the tournament, with 4.39 million arrivals nationwide, set against a backdrop of a 5.4% decline in global tourism to the country in 2025.
The tournament was the first in history with 48 participating teams, compared to the 32 in previous editions, which meant nearly double the matches and a duration of almost 40 days spread across 16 host cities in three countries: the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
The final this Sunday, which pits Argentina against Spain in the first World Cup match between the two teams, will feature the presence of Donald Trump, who will present the trophy to the champion alongside FIFA President Gianni Infantino, in what is shaping up to be the conclusion of the most lucrative World Cup in soccer history.
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