Will U.S. Cities Regret Hosting World Cup?
Steven Malanga Will U.S. Cities Regret Hosting World Cup? Local officials bid furiously to attract games, apparently without understanding the costs. Fans and taxpayers are paying the price. Photo by Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images / Eye on the News / Economy, Finance, and Budgets , States and Cities Apr 28 2026 / Share The United States Soccer Federation imagined that securing the rights—along with Mexico and Canada—to host this year’s World Cup would be a boon to soccer’s popularity in America. Cities and states, eyeing the payoff from a worldwide audience arriving for a once-in-a-generation event, scrambled to secure their piece of this soccer pie by winning the privilege to host games. But with only weeks remaining before the 2026 World Cup begins on June 11, many officials fear that the event could become the economic development equivalent of an “own goal.” While the tournament’s organizer, the Fédération Internationale de Football Associatio...
