Cities in the United States could suffer millionaire losses after the World Cup

There are just two days left until the start of the 2026 World Cup, the biggest sporting event in the world. This year, the tournament will feature 16 host cities, 11 of which are in the United States. However, some of the American cities that will host tournament matches are concerned about the negative financial impacts that may remain after the competition ends.

While FIFA projects record profits of up to 13 billion dollars (around R$68 billion) - with ticket sales, international broadcasting rights and global sponsorship quotas - North American cities could have expenses of up to 250 million dollars (close to R$1.3 billion).

The financial loss is a consequence of the cities' total responsibility for operational costs - public safety, infrastructure adaptation and transport logistics.

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Unlike some previous editions, in which there was more centralized coordination of expenses, American cities made individual commitments to meet FIFA's requirements. This means that each venue assumes its own financial and operational responsibilities to guarantee the games.

In addition to the legal responsibility for all security and infrastructure, city halls were prohibited from entering into partnerships with competitors of the tournament's official sponsor companies, which made it difficult to monetize the flow of tourists. For host cities, economic benefits depend mainly on the ability to attract tourists and stimulate consumption in hotels, restaurants, bars, shops and other services linked to the hospitality sector.

The areas that require the most money from city halls in American cities are:

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- Public safety: host cities need to invest millions of dollars in policing, monitoring and crowd control. The delay in releasing federal resources has increased pressure on local budgets.
- Commercial restrictions: FIFA contracts guarantee exclusivity to official sponsors, limiting the ability of cities to sign their own commercial agreements and generate extra revenue during the tournament.
- Costs of Fan Fests: Public spaces intended for broadcasting games require high spending on infrastructure, security and logistics, expenses that are the responsibility of municipal governments.

Large metropolises that withdrew from hosting the tournament
Before the World Cup even started, the financial problem for the cities was already predicted. As a result, large cities with a sporting culture ended up withdrawing from their candidacy to host the FIFA tournament, as is the case of Chicago and Minneapolis.

At the time, Chicago's mayor claimed it was an unacceptable risk to taxpayers. The politician also stated that the city would not give a blank check to cover the organization's eventual billion-dollar deficits.

Profits expected by cities
In the United States, the country that will host most of the games, strong economic activity is expected during the competition period. Large urban centers such as New York, Los Angeles and Miami expect to receive hundreds of thousands of visitors, increasing hotel occupancy and boosting local commerce.

The tournament is also expected to generate thousands of temporary jobs linked to the tourism, transport and entertainment sectors.

Mexico is also betting on the positive effects of the World Cup. With already established stadiums and a consolidated tradition in international tourism, the country hopes to take advantage of the flow of visitors with smaller investments in infrastructure.

Experts point out that this combination can favor a more efficient economic return compared to other hosts who need to spend more money to host the event.

In Canada, on the other hand, the debate about costs and benefits remains more intense.

Although there is an expectation of economic growth during the tournament, authorities and analysts are closely monitoring the public spending necessary to ensure the matches take place.

Investments in security, urban mobility and logistics operations represent a significant part of the bill that will be the responsibility of local governments.

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Source: CNN