In a report commissioned by FIFA and published in March 2025, the impact of the 2026 World Cup on US GDP was estimated at $17.2bn. Even accepting this assumption - which may appear optimistic, given its source - the effect would represent less than 0.1% of US GDP.

Indeed, it is difficult to imagine that a 104-match competition could transform the economy of a country that already hosts 1,230 NBA games and 1,344 NHL games every year.

The competition's new format might have suggested more significant spillover effects. With the tornament now expanded from 32 to 48 teams, the total number of matches will increase from 64 to 104, while the duration of the tournament will extend from 29 to 39 days.

This expansion will automatically lead to more international visitors, higher hotel occupancy rates and increased spending in the catering and leisure sectors. However, on the scale of the US economy as a whole, these effects will remain marginal, summarizes Bastien Drut.

The broadening of the tournament also requires greater hosting capacity. Sixteen stadiums will be used for this edition, compared to just eight in Qatar in 2022 and twelve in Russia in 2018. Yet the US enjoys a considerable advantage: it is virtually the only country in the world with around twenty venues with seating capacities of over 80,000, across all sports.

As a result, the 2026 World Cup has required very little major infrastructure work, further limiting its economic impact.

Ultimately, hosting a World Cup can produce a slight macroeconomic benefit for modest-sized economies or in countries engaged in vast investment programs. However, in the case of the US, such a scenario seems unlikely.

There remains the hypothesis of a psychological effect. A victory for the US national team, currently ranked 16th in the FIFA standings, could temporarily bolster household confidence and fuel a slight "feel good" effect that would boost consumption.

Past experience, however, suggests a need for perspective: France's victories in the 1998 and 2018 World Cups did not lead to any significant increase in confidence indicators.