FIFA to collect $8.9 billion from 2026 World Cup while U.S. host cities face costs and projected regional gains

U.S. cities hosting matches could face a collective shortfall of upwards of $250 million. Fortune reported that FIFA is operating the tournament itself and dealing directly with host cities rather than through national federations.

Under the new structure, FIFA controls all revenue from media rights, sponsorship, ticketing, hospitality, and merchandise. Host cities and states are assigned security, transportation, stadium retrofits, administration, and public fan zones. Gianni Infantino campaigned for the FIFA presidency in 2016 promising to quadruple FIFA’s income.

Dynamic pricing for 2026 World Cup tickets starts at a federation-only $60 and reaches $7,875 for a Category 1 seat at the final. Several 2026 World Cup matches are selling for many times the price of comparable seats at Qatar 2022. 2 million regional visitors materialized.

New York City is on track to spend roughly $70 million in added costs for NYPD, emergency management, and small-business support. 3 billion in regional economic impact and more than 26,000 jobs for the New York–New Jersey area. As of mid-March 2026, advance hotel reservations for New York’s World Cup weeks were tracking 2% below bookings for the same dates in 2025.

U.S. host markets reporting bookings below initial forecasts. FIFA reserved enormous room blocks and later released roughly half of that inventory back to the market.

The hotel workers’ union contract in New York expires June 30, 2026. Research from the University of Toronto found that 12 of the last 14 World Cups produced net economic losses for their host regions. FIFA told North American hosts they could sell local sponsorships but locked up market categories for its own partners, preventing deals such as with convenience-store chains.