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The 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to take place from June 11 to July 19 could cost U.S. employers over $30 billion in lost productivity, according to a new analysis published Tuesday.

The World Cup’s return to the U.S. after 32 years would see 78 matches hosted in 11 American cities, with the tournament’s schedule clashing with the American workday, potentially causing significant disruption.

Global outplacement and executive coaching firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas estimated that if all employed American soccer fans took a day off to watch a major match, U.S. employers could lose as much as $30.2 billion. Even just an hour of workplace distraction across the workforce could result in losses of around $4.4 billion.

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In the 11 host cities, where stadium traffic, security arrangements, and watch-party crowds are expected to heighten disruption, even a single missed workday could cost employers as much as $8.2 billion. New York/New Jersey and Los Angeles face the highest exposure, with potential costs of $2.14 billion and $1.26 billion, respectively, followed by Dallas at $747.59 million.

Andy Challenger, workplace expert and chief revenue officer at Challenger, Gray & Christmas, said that forward-thinking employers should view the event as a chance for team building instead of resisting it.

This isn’t the first time a major sporting event has been projected to impact U.S. productivity. The annual NCAA men's basketball tournament, colloquially known as March Madness, was predicted to cause a productivity loss of billions for American employers.

The report estimated that 26% of employees would take time off to watch games or participate in March Madness-related activities at work, resulting in American employers losing more than $12 billion.

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The 2026 World Cup is expected to be the most expensive edition yet, with fans potentially spending as much as $31,000 on tickets and travel to follow Argentina all the way to the final, according to a Business Insider report earlier this month.

At the same time, as per an analysis by the Financial Times on Tuesday, ticket touts are expected to lose out at this year's World Cup, with around 180,000 tickets still available on FIFA's official resale platform just days before kickoff. Prices have fallen about 20% in a month, and after resale fees of 26%, most transactions are likely to result in losses.

Demand is uneven, with weaker interest in some matches, such as Iran's games, which still have about 16,000 unsold tickets and relatively low starting prices.

Image via Shutterstock

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