A joint study by FIFA and the World Trade Organization projects that the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, could generate a combined economic output of $80.1 billion. The tournament is expected to contribute $40.9 billion directly to global GDP and bring in about $9.4 billion in tax revenue for the three host governments. The United States will host 78 of the total matches, while Canada and Mexico will each stage 13. Cities like Los Angeles and Dallas anticipate hundreds of millions in local revenue from their matches.

Despite the optimistic projections, independent economists have voiced skepticism about the actual financial gains. Victor Matheson, a sports economics professor at the College of the Holy Cross, told Newsweek that the U.S. may see lower-than-expected returns due to high organizational costs and unsold tickets. The event has nonetheless created 824,000 full-time jobs worldwide, including 185,000 across 11 U.S. host cities.

FIFA’s revenue for the 2023–26 cycle is expected to reach $11 billion, with prize money for teams increased by over 50% to $655 million.