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The 2026 FIFA World Cup is being hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. <\/p>\n
Keystone-SDA <\/p>\n
The 2026 football World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, kicks off in one month. Thanks to FIFA’s headquarters in Zurich, the tournament will also reflect on the Swiss economy.\n<\/p>\n
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May 12, 2026 – 10:26\n<\/p>\n
+Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox<\/a><\/p>\n However, the impact will be less than one might expect from the tournament with the most matches in history.<\/p>\n The World Cup will feature 48 teams competing in 104 matches, far more than the 64 matches of the previous edition. Despite this, economists do not expect a particularly large increase in GDP. This is also due to the fact that FIFA, world football\u2019s governing body, carries less weight than it used to, considering that there are more and more international sporting events. The impact of football is therefore relativised.<\/p>\n According to estimates by the KOF Institute of the federal technology institute (ETH Zurich), the event could raise Swiss GDP 2026 by 0.3\/0.4 percentage points. \u2018The effects on GDP will probably be within the usual margins,\u2019 KOF economist Alexander Rathke explained to the financial agency AWP.<\/p>\n + FIFA rule change opens door to departure from Switzerland<\/a><\/p>\n One billion francs<\/p>\n Revenues from broadcasting rights are expected to be CHF1 billion ($1.28 billion) higher than those of the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. At the same time, however, the new Club World Cup generated additional revenue in 2025, also of around CHF1 billion, which therefore removes the effects on GDP growth.<\/p>\n The arguments of the BAK Economics institute are similar: if only the expansion of the World Cup were evaluated, the effect would be considerable, economist Alexis K\u00f6rber pointed out. But FIFA and UEFA, European football\u2019s governing body, have increased their activities in general, including women\u2019s competitions, which diminishes the impact of the men\u2019s World Cup.<\/p>\n The effect of the International Football Federation on GDP is determined by the accounting of its revenues. When FIFA sells broadcasting rights, sponsorship packages, hospitality offers or brand rights, this is treated in the national accounts as the production of a Swiss-based organisation.<\/p>\n Little effect on the real economy<\/p>\n \u2018This is a global marketing activity carried out by an organisation under Swiss law,\u201d explained Rathke. However, there are few effects on the real economy or the labour market. Both KOF and BAK speak of a static effect. Additional jobs are limited. However, this has a positive effect on tax revenues in the federal government.<\/p>\n