FIFA and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat have released two studies that showcase the significant socioeconomic impact the forthcoming FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ and FIFA World Cup 2026™ could have in the United States and globally.

The studies – developed by OpenEconomics (OE), an independent body that supports institutions and companies in designing policies and investment projects – are the latest example of the collaboration between FIFA and the WTO since the release of the GoalEconomy initiative following the biggest and most successful FIFA Women’s World Cup™ ever in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.

Among the key estimates, the FIFA World Cup 2026 analysis highlights that across the host countries 6.5 million people are expected to attend the tournament. According to OE, the tournament could help drive up to USD 40.9 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), deliver USD 8.28 billion in social benefits and underpin the creation of nearly 824,000 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs globally. Specifically for the US, OE estimates that 185,000 FTE jobs could be created, with 30.5 billion in gross output and USD 17.2 billion in GDP.

Additionally, the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 study showcases how the creation of FIFA’s new top, quadrennial competition involving and elevating 32 of the world’s best clubs will serve to unlock value for people in the tournament’s host nation, the US, and globally.

The report estimates a total attendance of 3.7 million, with local and international fans flocking to the tournament’s 11 host cities to support their clubs in their pursuit to become the first-ever winner of the highly anticipated competition. The event could help generate up to USD 21.1 billion in global GDP, including USD 9.6 billion in the US. This year’s celebration of global club football could also generate USD 17.1 billion in gross output and unlock USD 3.36 billion in social benefits across the US, while supporting the creation of approximately 105,000 jobs there.

The studies aim to capture both tangible and intangible benefits through a structured and comprehensive analysis that includes direct, indirect, and induced contributions, and further demonstrates the commitment of FIFA and the WTO to work together to analyse the economic impact of football and its role in unlocking global and inclusive economic growth. This is a central feature of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreed to and signed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and WTO Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on the opening day of the annual WTO Public Forum in September 2022.

Methodology

The analysis adopts both the Impact Analysis methodology and Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology aligned with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines, to evaluate the value generated relative to the investments made. This methodology incorporates stakeholder engagement, outcome mapping, monetisation, and the discounting of future benefits. To provide a comprehensive picture, the socio-economic impact analysis uses an inter-country social accounting matrix (SAM) with a breakdown into 45 productive sectors and 76 different countries. The same methodology has been applied across both reports. Key data comprise international benchmarks from organizations such as the World Bank, OECD, ILOSTAT, UNECE, WTO and UNWTO.