FIFA and the secretariat of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have released two reports that forecast the strong economic and social impact that the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 and the FIFA World Cup 2026 could have, events that will be held in the United States and will have international reach.
The documents, developed by the independent consulting firm Open Economics (OE), are part of the joint work that both organizations promoted since the launch of the Goal Economy initiative, launched after the record of public and participation that was registered in the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand.
The study on the 2026 World Cup calculates an attendance of approximately 6.5 million people among the three host countries. According to OE estimates, the tournament could contribute up to $40.9 billion to the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), generate $8.28 billion in social benefits and contribute to the creation of nearly 824,000 full-time equivalent jobs worldwide.
With regard to the United States, it is estimated that the tournament will generate $30.5 billion in gross income, with a direct impact of $17.2 billion on its GDP and the possible creation of 185,000 jobs in full-time equivalence.
The economic impact of the Club World Cup
The other analysis focused on the 2025 Club World Cup, a competition that will be unprecedented due to its new format. It is expected to convene more than 3.7 million fans, both residents and tourists, who will attend the meetings in the 11 venues designated to support the participating teams.
This championship could also provide a strong economic boost: $21.1 billion to global GDP and $9.6 billion specifically in the United States, along with an estimated gross return of $17.1 billion. In addition, the report indicates that $3.36 billion could be generated in social benefits and nearly 105,000 jobs nationwide.
Beyond the economic impact
Both studies seek to account for the added value of these events not only from the economic point of view, but also from their role in the generation of intangible benefits. The approach used includes a detailed analysis of the direct, indirect and induced effects, reinforcing the commitment of FIFA and the WTO to demonstrate the potential of soccer as an engine of global and inclusive economic development.
This collaboration is based on the agreement signed in September 2022 by the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, and the director general of the WTO, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, during the opening of the annual Public Forum of the WTO.
How the impact was measured
The evaluation applied both the economic impact measurement approach and the social return on investment analysis. This methodology, aligned with the parameters of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), includes the monetization of benefits, the calculation of discounts on future results and the active participation of various actors involved.
To achieve an accurate representation, the analysis used a social accounting matrix that included 76 countries and broke down 45 productive sectors.
The two reports shared this methodology, based on indicators and reference sources such as the World Bank, the OECD, ILOSTAT, CEPE, WTO and UN Tourism.
