Economic Impact Across NY/NJ Exceeds Original $3.3 Billion Projection during FIFA World Cup 26
NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY – Today, the FIFA World Cup 2026™ New York New Jersey Host Committee announced that FIFA World Cup 2026™ generated $3.5 billion in total economic impact across New York and New Jersey, exceeding the region’s original projected impact of $3.3 billion.
The Economic and Fiscal Impact of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the New York and New Jersey Region report, conducted by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, demonstrates the extraordinary scale of economic activity created by hosting the world’s largest sporting event.
FIFA World Cup 2026™ activity in New York and New Jersey generated approximately $1.9 billion in direct spending, supported 27,424 total full- and part-time jobs, generated approximately $1.4 billion in total labor income, and spurred $414.2 million in total state and local tax revenues.
The impact was felt throughout the regional economy as New York and New Jersey welcomed visitors from across the United States and around the world for eight matches at New York New Jersey Stadium, including the FIFA World Cup Final, as well as free Official Fan Events and other affiliated programming throughout New Jersey and all five New York City boroughs and New York State. More than 645,000 fans attended the region’s eight World Cup matches, while an additional 626,300 non-local visitors traveled to New York or New Jersey to participate in World Cup-related activities, including regional fan experiences. Together, match and non-match attendees generated approximately $1.7 billion in direct spending across the regional economy.
Operational spending associated with staging the tournament totaled approximately $286 million.
The tournament’s economic benefits reached businesses and workers across a wide range of industries:
Lodging: Approximately $653 million in direct spending
Food and Beverage: Approximately $346 million in direct spending
Retail: Approximately $264 million in direct spending
Transportation: Approximately $200 million in direct spending
Recreation and Entertainment: Approximately $195 million in direct spending
Beyond direct visitor and operational spending, those dollars continued circulating throughout New York and New Jersey through purchases from regional suppliers and spending by workers whose jobs and incomes were supported by the tournament. In total, approximately $1.9 billion in direct economic activity generated an additional $693 million in indirect business activity and $916 million in induced economic activity, bringing the tournament’s total regional economic impact to approximately $3.5 billion.
“The final numbers demonstrate that New York and New Jersey didn’t just rise to the occasion — we exceeded expectations and delivered an impact that will be felt long after the final whistle,” said Alex Lasry, CEO of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ New York New Jersey Host Committee. “Billions of dollars flowed through our hotels, restaurants, small businesses and communities, tens of thousands of jobs were supported, and people across the region shared in the benefits of welcoming the world. Just as importantly, the impact did not end with the Final. The investments, partnerships and global visibility created through this World Cup will continue benefiting our communities and have once again shown that there is no better place in the world to host the biggest moments in sports and culture than New York and New Jersey.”
“Our mission was to welcome the world to New York, while making sure that every New Yorker had the chance to participate in and benefit from this once-in-a-generation event,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “And that’s exactly what we did. From increased spending at local businesses and restaurants to higher hotel revenues, the World Cup has left a lasting impact on our state. Here in New York, we want to continue to ensure that New Yorkers are reaping the benefits and joy of the World Cup by building more soccer infrastructure for our kids to play across the state.”
“This summer, we showed the very best of New Jersey to the world, and that New Jersey, with people from every corner of the globe, is the world. I am incredibly proud that we delivered an exciting, successful World Cup,” said New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill. “Fans from around the world and around the Garden State took part in the biggest sporting event on the planet. We already know that hotel occupancy was up, more than 300,000 fans attended the 34 community grant events we brought to every part of the state, and state revenues exceeded expectations in July, when the tournament was here. From the first match through the World Cup Final, we showed that New Jersey has the infrastructure, workforce, diversity, and hospitality to bring people together and successfully host events of this scale. The impact reached far beyond the stadium, supporting local businesses, jobs, and economic activity across our state.”
“We said the World Cup belonged to New Yorkers, and the numbers back it up. $3.5 billion moved through our region and more than 27,000 people got paid because of it – the cook in Sunset Park, the cab driver in Corona, the small business owner running the halal cart outside a watch party in Harlem. We proved a city can grow its economy and support working people at the same time,” said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The study found that the tournament supported 27,424 total jobs across New York and New Jersey, including nearly 18,000 jobs directly supported by World Cup operational and visitor spending. Food and beverage businesses saw the largest employment impact, with approximately 4,500 total jobs supported, followed by transportation with approximately 4,400 total jobs and lodging with approximately 4,000 total jobs. Those employment impacts translated into approximately $1.4 billion in total labor income for workers throughout the regional economy, including approximately $792 million in direct labor income and another $580 million generated through indirect and induced economic activity.
The tournament also produced significant benefits for the public sector. Regional World Cup-related activity generated approximately $759 million in total federal, state and local tax revenue, including $414.2 million for state and local governments. That included approximately $174 million in total sales tax revenue and nearly $39 million in total bed tax revenue.
Tourism Economics conducted pre- and post-event analyses to measure the economic impact of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ on the New York New Jersey region. The initial analysis, published in July 2025, projected that the tournament would generate $3.3 billion in total economic output across New York and New Jersey. Following the conclusion of the tournament, Tourism Economics conducted a post-event analysis in August 2026 using the same methodology, with key model inputs updated to reflect actual tournament data. The analysis found that the FIFA World Cup 2026™ generated $3.5 billion in total economic output across the region, surpassing the original projection.
The increase was driven by several factors, including higher-than-projected operational spending by the FIFA World Cup 2026™ New York New Jersey Host Committee, local and federal governments, and other stakeholders; greater attendance at Official Fan Events than originally anticipated, partially offset by a higher share of local attendees; and a larger share of international match attendees than initially projected, partially offset by a higher share of local match attendees.
The tournament’s impact continues beyond its economic return. Investments and partnerships established around the World Cup 2026 are continuing to expand access to soccer and create opportunities across New York and New Jersey, including 17 community mini pitches completed or in development throughout the region. Host Committee initiatives also directly engaged more than 5,000 young people through clinics, tournaments and community programming, while more than 2,000 New Yorkers and New Jerseyans received access to World Cup matches through free and affordable ticket initiatives. Together, those efforts have helped ensure that the benefits of hosting the tournament continue in communities long after the final whistle.
The Host Committee also worked to extend World Cup-related economic activity directly into local communities through the Welcome World Rewards Program, which helped drive more than 10,000 visits to participating small businesses, restaurants, and community destinations across New York and New Jersey. With more than 1,000 participating locations, the program encouraged residents and visitors alike to explore neighborhoods throughout the region while creating another avenue for local businesses to share directly in the increased activity surrounding the tournament.
Altogether, the tournament’s record economic performance and lasting community investments further cement New York and New Jersey as the world’s premier destination for major global sporting events – with the infrastructure, experience and unmatched regional assets to welcome the world at extraordinary scale while delivering lasting benefits for the people who call the region home.
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