2026 World Cup: Revenue and Economic Expectations
A recent FIFA report reveals significant economic projections for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, estimating global revenues of approximately 8 billion US dollars.
This analysis, supported by the World Trade Organization and the consultancy OpenEconomics, details the distribution of these benefits: 62% for the tourism sector, 32% for sports, and 6% for entertainment.
A Social Return on Investment (SROI) of 3.64 is expected: for every dollar invested, $3.64 in benefits such as health, inclusion, and culture would be generated.
FIFA
FIFA anticipates an attendance of 6.52 million spectators in the stadiums of the United States, Mexico, and Canada. It is estimated that 40% of these attendees will be foreign tourists.
The World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026, in 16 cities across the three host countries, generating unprecedented demand for hotels, temporary accommodations, and rental platforms. Among the most important cities are Mexico City, New York, Toronto, Guadalajara, and Los Angeles. It is expected that Mexico City will receive 5.5 million visitors, representing more than a third of the annual average of tourists staying in hotels, according to data from the Mexico City Tourism Secretariat.This reflects the unprecedented magnitude of the expected tourist flow in the three North American venues.
Sean Cázares Ahearne, general director of the Mexican Association of Tourist Housing (Amvitur)
In Mexico, tourist accommodations will play a key role in complementing the offer and satisfying the demand, avoiding disproportionate tariff increases and operational problems.
The 5% tax per reservation, higher than the 3.5% hotel tax, will finance projects such as signage, construction of tourist lodges, rehabilitation of piers, and development of tourist equipment.
The growth of private lodging in Mexico has exceeded 30% in the last year, indicating the need and opportunity to expand the offer beyond traditional hotels.
The remodeling of hotels and private lodging on platforms will also represent a challenge.FIFA’s report estimates a total expenditure of 13.9 billion dollars for the organization of the event.
An average expenditure per tourist of 416 dollars per day is expected during a 12-day stay, generating more than 7.482 billion dollars in direct tourism consumption.
