One of the most fascinating trends in recent years is the way that major events are shaping market trends more than ever before. It’s now a lot easier for popular culture and sports to have an immediate global impact. We can see this effect in action in 2026, as the FIFA World Cup is set to help reshape global markets.

The Scale of the Event

FIFA’s overall revenue estimate for this soccer competition suggests that they expect to reach $10.9 billion, which is 56% higher than was achieved for the 2022 event in Qatar. Sponsorship and broadcasting rights are going to set new records, with ticket sales and hospitality revenue also booming.

Exact matchday revenues won’t be known until the World Cup takes place, but analysts are looking forward to this figure rising from $950 million in Qatar to potentially $3 billion in this year’s event.

There are several reasons for this massive growth. The main one is that it’s the biggest World Cup, with the format expanded from 32 to 48 teams. This means an extra 40 games to be played. The stadiums being used in North America are also far bigger than those we saw in Qatar. Giant venues such as the MetLife Stadium and the AT&T Stadium are capable of hosting tens of thousands of fans, creating much bigger ticket sales.

Ticket prices have been hiked too, with the low-cost tickets offered to locals in Qatar not available this time. Premium tickets have been increased, meaning that ticket revenue is expected to go through the roof.

The Tourism and Services Surge

While FIFA is set to rake in record-breaking profits from these games, it’s not just the governing body that’s going to make money from the 2026 World Cup.  The tourism and services sectors are looking to cash in on the fact that millions of soccer fans are expected to head to the stadiums to watch games.

Hubs like the New York and Philadelphia are reporting a boom in airline tickets and hotel bookings for the period. Interestingly, this rush to see the games is also likely to give the dollar a boost, as visitors change their local currencies to USD for the trip. We’ve recently seen gold surging against the dollar so this is going to be another factor to take into account.

Marriott International and Hyatt Hotels are among the businesses set to receive the biggest benefit, as these are the hotel chains with the most extensive room inventory across the 16 host cities.

Airbnb is an official tournament supporter and is likely to benefit from hotels being sold out. Meanwhile, Delta Airlines, and American Airlines are going to be carrying supporters between the host cities. Even Starbucks and McDonald’s will be hoping for record-breaking profits as fans flood their restaurants.

Online Betting and Viewing

People going to the games and buying merchandise is a key driver for World Cup profits, but the recent digital explosion is going to create another massive impact. The global audience is likely to reach several billion, making it the most-watched sporting event in history. But a lot of fans won’t want to just watch the action on their screens; they will want to engage more actively in what’s going on.

Online sports betting has gained ground at a rapid pace in North America over the last few years. We can see on this online gambling platform that soccer is included, along with hockey, basketball, and many other sports that we love to watch. This means that sports fans in Canada and the US will find it easier than ever before to place wagers, giving the operators a massive boost to their revenue.

If we look at the World Cup betting in particular, we can see that odds are already being offered on the early group games. You can also bet on the overall winner of the tournament if you’re feeling confident about your prediction, with Spain currently leading the odds ahead of England, Brazil, and Argentina. A surge of interest in live betting is predicted, which means that supporters can place bets and cash them out as they watch the games.

With 104 games set to take place across Canada, the US, and Mexico, there are lots of opportunities to bet on these games. Alternative markets, like top goalscorer and best goalkeeper, are also sure to prove popular. Fans who want to place bets across several games can use parlays to get better odds, although this type of wager is more difficult to get right.

2026 is set to confirm the theory that the World Cup moves more money than ever before. The markets are ready for a huge impact as this event takes over the sporting world for a few weeks. You don’t even need to go to any of the stadiums to take part in one of the year’s biggest cultural events.