March 4 – An updated economic impact study now projects the 2026 World Cup could generate $892 million across Los Angeles County, up nearly 50% from earlier estimates of $594 million.
Add in a projected $230 million in long-term tourism benefits tied to global media exposure, and the total climbs north of $1.1 billion.
The revised breakdown includes $515 million in direct visitor spending on hotels, restaurants, retail, transport, and entertainment, plus $377 million in follow-on activity as businesses hire and spend more. The study also forecasts $338 million in increased wages, alongside $50 million in new county tax revenue and $36 million for the state.
But the real picture may be different. Regular tourists avoid host cities due to price spikes, which in the case of Los Angeles have been eye-watering. With infrastructure and security costs soaring for all host cities, the bottom line is being eaten into at an alarming rate.
Economic impact studies measure activity, not always profit, and then there’s a small matter of the current political situation in the United States.
International travel is suffering amid rhetoric by US President Donald Trump on immigration and border policy. With a number of qualified countries (including Iran) on his travel ban list, supporters will not even be able to travel, while some overseas visitors may think twice about making the trip for fear of ending up in an ICE facility. Less foreign tourist traffic would ripple through those spending projections.
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