The 2026 FIFA World Cup officially begins Thursday with the opening match in Mexico City, launching a 104-game tournament across 16 host cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico that runs through the July 19 final.

Eleven of those cities are in the U.S., and economists are already tallying the payoff for the American economy.

Bank of America thinks the tournament is worth real money. Citing research firm OpenEconomics, the bank estimates the event could add about 0.6% to U.S. GDP and 0.4% to global GDP this year.

Bank of America economist Stephen Juneau called it “another tailwind” for the U.S. economy, and one more reason to expect near-term inflation to prove more persistent, he said in a note.

How Much Growth Does The World Cup Bring?

OpenEconomics produced its own report for FIFA and the World Trade Organization. It projects $40.9 billion in added global GDP, $20.8 billion in labor earnings and 824,000 full-time-equivalent jobs worldwide.

The firm pegs the social-benefit value above $8.28 billion, a global social return on investment of 3.64.

In the U.S. alone, it forecasts 5.2 million in attendance, including 1.2 million international visitors. That crowd should generate $11.1 billion in direct spending on tickets, travel, lodging, food and retail.

Read Also:

The World Cup Is Here: Analyst Names One Beverage Stock To Watch

The Boost May Already Be In The Data

Part of the lift may have already landed.

May nonfarm payrolls surprised to the upside at ...