World Cup Boost Expected with $17.2B GDP Contribution Forecast

The 2026 World Cup is projected to contribute up to $17.2 billion to U.S. GDP. While flight booking data indicates year-over-year gains in host cities like Houston and Dallas, other cities like Seattle and Mexican host cities are underperforming. Deutsche Bank estimates the overall economic impact to be a 0.05% short-term GDP increase, even with 1.2 million international fans. Major hospitality players like Marriott anticipate a 40 basis point lift in revenue per available room in the U.S. due to increased demand from the event.