According to a FIFA Economic Impact Assessment, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will contribute up to $3.8 billion in “positive economic output” for host country Canada.
This amount is divided into Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP), labor income, and government revenue, with GDP ($2 billion) and labor income ($1.3 billion) making up the largest portion. The assessment also projects that 24,100 jobs will be “created and preserved” nationwide between June 2023 and August 2026.
According to the assessment, economic impact was measured and reported in terms of economic output, GDP, labor income, employment and government revenue.
Estimates were calculated based on data provided by the FIFA World Cup 26 and Canada Host Cities Committee. This is supplemented with forecasts or source data provided by Deloitte Canada economists.
“You can think of economic output as revenue,” says Jeff Harris, founder and leader of Deloitte Canada’s Sport Business Advisory Practice. “This is the total value of goods and services produced and purchased within a certain period of time.”
Harris added that GDP figures are considered income.
The assessment estimates that for every Canadian dollar spent by visitors preparing for or attending a tournament, the event contributes $1.09 to GDP. This equates to an average of $155 million in GDP for each of the 13 games held in Canada and creates or sustains 1,850 jobs across the country.
The expanded 48-team, 104-game World Cup will be co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico. Vancouver and Toronto are the Canadian host cities, while there are 11 in the United States and three in Mexico.
The assessment estimates that tournament spending in the form of capital, operating and visitor spending will total $1.9 billion from June 2023 to August 2026.
An economic assessment found that preparing for and hosting the tournament could generate $1.7 billion in positive economic output for the province hosting the seven games. This includes increases in GDP ($980 million), labor income ($610 million), and government revenues ($120 million), as well as more than 13,700 jobs “created and preserved” over the period analyzed. .
In Ontario, where Toronto hosts six games, positive economic output was assessed at $1.3 billion, including GDP ($700 million), labor income ($460 million) and government revenue ($100 million). The number of employees is more than 8,700.
The assessment cites a potential positive economic output of $940 million for the Greater Toronto Area and $1.3 billion for Metro Vancouver.
“Off the pitch, this tournament is more than just a sporting event,” FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani, a Vancouver native and former Canadian soccer president, said in a statement. “This is the largest sports and entertainment event in history and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase our country on the world stage.”
On the other side of the ledger, tournament preparation costs have increased.
Last April, Vancouver organizers estimated the estimated cost of hosting the event, including city, provincial and stadium upgrade costs, at between $483 million and $581 million. However, the BC government said it expects the event to generate enough revenue to cover the net cost of $100 million to $145 million.
In February, the City of Toronto estimated operating and capital costs in the Toronto area to be about $380 million. The federal government has pledged to provide the city with $104.34 million, and the province of Ontario has agreed to provide up to $97 million.
