World Cup spending surge surprises economists, boosts local economies across U.S. host cities

NEW YORK CITY (Gray DC) - The FIFA World Cup has delivered an economic boost to businesses across the United States. Data from the Bank of America Institute suggests each of the 11 host cities have seen increased spending during the tournament.

Joe Wadford, an economist with Bank of America Institute, said last month credit and debit card spending was up 6.3% compared to June 2025.

“The spending story is the strongest we’ve seen in over four years, so I don’t think anybody expected that,” he said. “So definitely a positive surprise.”

Wadford said the impact has been felt throughout metropolitan areas, particularly at local brick-and-mortar retailers and restaurants. He noted that while the Bank of America data is focused on U.S. consumers, adding international visitors to those figures produces an even better economic picture.

“It’s a positive not only for tourism from international consumers, but also it shows that people in the U.S. are willing to travel if there’s so much the U.S. has to offer, and the U.S. consumer is taking advantage of that as well,” Wadford said.

He acknowledged there had been some concern heading into the tournament about elevated gas prices, but said the data showed the World Cup was “a win not only for the overall economy, but for local markets as well.”

Data from the International Trade Administration shows non-U.S. citizen international arrivals to the United States in June ticked up just 0.2% from 2025. The full economic impact of the tournament will not be known for some time, with additional data expected later this year.