The 2026 Fifa World Cup was supposed to be a record-breaking economic windfall for the United States. But as the tournament gets under way, the numbers reveal a more complicated story.
Top-tier tickets for the final are going for more than $10,000, nearly seven times what the co-hosts' bid book originally promised. Hotel occupancy in some host cities, meanwhile, is tracking below normal summer levels. And the international tourism boom that was supposed to drive billions into local economies is being complicated by visa restrictions, geopolitical tensions and dynamic pricing that has left fans unable to afford tickets.
The contrast with Qatar 2022 is stark. When the Middle East hosted its first Fifa World Cup, football fans could attend group stage matches for a fraction of the cost, with airlines laying on extra flights and some supporters watching two games a day.
In this episode of Business Extra, The National's Kyle Fitzgerald speaks to Victor Matheson, professor of sports economics in the US, to look at the economics of this tournament, and what it means for the future of mega events, including the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
The conversation covers why Fifa's dynamic pricing strategy may have backfired, whether the promised $30 billion economic boost will materialise, and what organisers of future tournaments need to learn from 2026.
