Mark Johnson, PE and Sport Subject Advisor

The FIFA World Cup 2026, hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, provides an excellent contemporary example for Cambridge National in Sports Studies Unit R184 Topic Area 3: The implications of hosting a major sporting event for a city or country. 

With FIFA increasing the number of teams it was the largest World Cup in history, featuring 48 teams across 104 matches and the fans came from far and wide to support their teams in vast numbers. 

FIFA President Gianni Infantino claimed that total of 6,665,825 spectators attended the 104 matches. This figure surpassed the combined total attendances of the previous two tournaments and nearly doubled the previous single-tournament record of 3,587,538, set at USA 1994. Average attendance was 65,351 fans per match, with a stadium occupancy rate of 99.7% – the highest in World Cup history. 

The tournament showcased many of the economic, social, environmental and sporting impacts that are central to Topic Area 3.

Economic impacts

The 2026 World Cup attracted millions of domestic and international visitors who spent money on accommodation, food, transport, entertainment and merchandise. In a report published by Global Statistics, the Bank of America stated that spending in host cities had increased significantly during the tournament, with spending by visitors rising by 16.7% compared with the previous year. 

On the eve of the final, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan disclosed to CBS News that the tournament had generated an estimated $40 billion in total economic impact, with $20 billion of that landing in the United States. 

This was considerably less than FIFA’s predicted $80.1 billion global gross output projection, but it remains an extraordinary sum for a single six-week sporting event and clearly shows the significant economic impact hosting such an event can have on the host country. 

Positive economic effects 

The tournament generated numerous economic benefits: 

• Increased tourism across host cities. 
• Greater spending in local businesses such as hotels, restaurants and shops.
• Creation of temporary and permanent employment opportunities.
• Enhanced international exposure that may encourage future tourism and investment. 

New Jersey alone reported a $2.1 billion economic impact from its World Cup matches, demonstrating how hosting games can provide a substantial boost to a local economy. 

Negative economic effects 

Host nations and cities must invest heavily in security, transport, event management and stadium preparation to ensure the events run smoothly. Some economists argue that although spending rises during the event, the overall long-term economic gains may be lower than initial predictions. 

This highlights an important point: economic benefits are not always guaranteed and may be unevenly distributed.

Social and cultural impacts

Social and cultural impacts The World Cup brought together supporters from across the globe, creating opportunities for cultural exchange and celebration. Host cities welcomed visitors from the competing countries and fans from countries that had not even qualified, helping to promote diversity and international understanding. 

Positive social impacts 

The event produced several social benefits:

• Increased community pride. 
• Greater national and local identity through hosting a global event.
• Inspiration for young people to participate in football and sport. 
• Opportunities for communities to celebrate different cultures. 

The tournament also demonstrated how sport can unite communities, with fan festivals and public viewing areas attracting large numbers of people even when they did not attend matches. 

Negative social impacts 

Large sporting events can also create social challenges: 

• Congestion and overcrowding in city centres.
• Increased pressure on public transport systems. 
• Higher accommodation prices during the competition. 
• Increased demands on policing and emergency services. 

There is always the risk of hooliganism and trouble between rival fans; however there were very few instances at this World Cup compared to previous tournaments. There were unfortunately some reports of fighting between England and Croatia fans following the group stage match in Austin, Texas and FIFA investigated some incidents relating to spectator behaviour, including allegations of discriminatory chants, inappropriate messages, object throwing, and security protocol breaches connected with some matches. 

Away from the pitches and stadiums this World Cup was clouded in controversy due to the political issues between the United States and Iran. As reported in the Economic Times, for the first time in its history one of the host nations entered the competition whilst in conflict with one of the competing nations. 

Iran abandoned plans to base their team in the United States and chose to set up camp in Mexico. Iranian officials and coach Amir Ghalanoei heavily criticised strict travel protocols that were enforced the team by the U.S. government when travelling to and from games. 

The dispute was further intensified when visa related complications prevented certain members of the teams support staff from entering the United States at all. An appointed referee from Somalia was also denied entry into the U.S. 

FIFA also faced criticism for refusing to decline requests for Iran’s games to be relocated to either Canada or Mexico. 

One other controversial issue relates to ticket pricing and how accessible the tournament was to the average fan. 

FIFA employed a demand-based pricing model for tickets, which means prices rise as demand increases. This was a departure from the traditional fixed-price approach used at previous World Cups. 

The BBC reported that some tickets for the World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium reached prices of approximately US$11,000, generating criticism from supporters, politicians and consumer groups. 

Many supporters complained that prices were significantly higher than at previous tournaments and that footballs biggest event was becoming unaffordable for many traditional fans. 

It was apparent that dynamic pricing favoured wealthier spectators and corporate customers. In our house my two teenage sons were playing “spot the celebrity in the crowd”, as the TV cameras very often zoomed in on A list celebrities including NFL and NBA stars and Hollywood actors. 

In addition to this, despite FIFA’s claims that stadium occupancy rates were 99.7% there appeared to be sections of empty seats at lots of games, especially in some of the group stage fixtures. It has been reported that FIFA has claimed that this was due to fans seeking shelter from the heat in the cooler concourse areas of the stadium. 

It does appear that high prices have meant that lower-income fans were unable to attend and this does undermine the inclusive spirit of the World Cup.

Infrastructure development

The 2026 World Cup required significant planning across sixteen host cities. Stadiums were upgraded, transport systems were tested and event-management procedures were improved. 

Benefits of infrastructure investment 

Hosting the World Cup encouraged: 

• Improvements to sporting venues.
• Better transport networks. 
• Increased capacity to host future international events. 

The successful delivery of the competition demonstrated the ability of host cities to manage large-scale international events, which may attract future sporting and cultural opportunities. 

Environmental impacts 

With teams and supporters travelling between venues across three countries, the World Cup generated substantial transport-related emissions. The movement of millions of spectators placed increased pressure on transport systems and local resources. 

Candidates should consider both the negative environmental impacts such as increased carbon emissions and the positive attempts to improve sustainability through modern stadiums and transport planning. 

These considerations are highly relevant to modern event hosting.

Legacy: the long-term impact

Legacy refers to what remains after the event has finished. 

The World Cup 2026 has left several potential legacies:

• Improved sporting facilities 
• Increased interest in football throughout North America
• Enhanced global reputation for host cities and countries 
• Experience and expertise in hosting future international events. 

The tournament’s record attendance of approximately 6.7 million fans highlighted football’s growing popularity and could encourage long-term increases in participation and investment in the sport.

Conclusion

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is an outstanding case study for OCR Cambridge National in Sports Studies Unit R184 Topic Area 3. It clearly demonstrates the wide-ranging implications of hosting a major sporting event, including: 

• Economic growth and tourism 
• Job creation 
• Community pride 
• Infrastructure improvements
• Environmental challenges
• Long-term legacy

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About the author

Mark joined Cambridge OCR as a PE and Sport Subject Advisor in 2018. He graduated from Staffordshire University with a BSc in Sports Studies, having previously completed an HND in Sports Science and Sports Injuries at Nottingham Trent University. After university he worked as a residential social worker, delivering the PE provision for a group of 11 to 16-year-olds with challenging behaviour. He then moved into PE teaching, spending a year at his old secondary school before lecturing Sports Studies and Sports Science at an FE College for nearly 15 years. During that time he delivered, assessed and internally moderated a range of Level 1-3 qualifications including Cambridge OCR. Alongside his education career Mark has also been a sports therapist, nutritionist and fitness coach at several rugby clubs for nearly 25 years.