The 2026 FIFA World Cup is projected to bring more than $1 billion in economic activity to California, based on impact reports from the Bay Area Host Committee and its organizer the Fédération Internationale de Football Association.
The Bay Area committee is a nonprofit dedicated to bringing high-profile events to the Bay Area. In a June press release, it projected the World Cup, along with the NBA All-Star game—set for Chase Center in San Francisco in 2025—and Super Bowl LX, to be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara in 2026, will bring in a combined $1.4 billion in revenue to the area.
FIFA’s six Bay Area games will specifically generate up to an estimated $630 million between San Francisco, Santa Clara, and all other Bay Area counties, according to the committee.
The Bay Area committee’s impact report additionally projected the creation of 13,000 full-time equivalent jobs across San Francisco industries for the event, with an estimated 500,000 visitors expected from outside the Bay Area.
“As we look towards the next two years, we have a unique opportunity to make a long-lasting positive impact on the region,” said Bay Area Host Committee President and CEO Zaileen Janmohamed.
Those games are expected to attract almost 150,000 out-of-town visitors, according to an impact report from economics research and consulting firm Micronomics, which evaluated the upcoming global sports event at the request of the Los Angeles World Cup 2026 Host Committee.
“These larger impacts are due, in part, to the longer duration of event activities and the projected increase in international visitors who spend at higher levels,” the Micronomics report said.
The economic activity will generate an estimated $34.9 million in tax revenue for government entities in L.A. County and an estimated $22.3 million for the state, according to the consultant’s report.
