Goldman Sachs estimates the 2026 FIFA World Cup will create approximately 40,000 additional payroll jobs in the United States in June, an extra 10,000 in July, followed by a reduction of about 15,000 jobs in August as temporary positions end.
The tournament runs from 11 June to 19 July across the United States, Mexico and Canada, with 5‑6 million fans expected to attend 78 matches in 11 U.S. metropolitan areas that together account for roughly one‑third of U.S. GDP, one‑quarter of employment, and a comparable share of the CPI index.
Job gains are projected to be concentrated in leisure and hospitality, retail trade, and transportation, while business services may experience earlier hiring for support activities.
Retail sales are forecast to increase by 0.3 percentage points in June and 0.1 percentage points in July.
Gross domestic product (GDP) growth is expected to be boosted by 0.1 percentage points in the second quarter and 0.05 percentage points in the third quarter, with a modest decline anticipated in the fourth quarter.
The GDP uplift is attributed to higher consumer spending and increased exports of services to an estimated additional 500,000 to 1 million foreign tourists arriving in June and July.
Core CPI inflation is projected to rise by 0.03 percentage points in June and 0.01 percentage points in July, then fall by 0.01 percentage points from August onward.
Core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index is expected to increase by 0.04 percentage points in June.
Hotel prices have already risen, and city‑level CPI data historically show spikes in restaurant meals and transportation costs in host cities during major sporting events.
Goldman notes that the economic effects of major sporting events are typically short‑lived and tend to reverse in the months after the event concludes.
