Soccer fans are buzzing with excitement over the announcement made Wednesday during the 68th FIFA Congress that the U.S. will be co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, alongside Mexico and Canada. The event will be returning to the North American continent for the first time since 1994.
Victor Matheson, a sports economist who specializes in ‘mega-sporting events’ and professor of economics at the College of the Holy Cross, spoke with Reuters about the expectations that the event will boost soccer's popularity in the U.S.
"We probably aren’t going to get the large increases in youth soccer participation that we did after 1994," said Matheson. However, he expects 2026 to "help continue soccer on its really positive trajectory here."
Matheson's research and insights on the economic impact of 'mega-sporting events' such as the World Cup on host countries is available here.
The Reuters story ran in numerous outlets worldwide, including Eurosport and ESPN.
Read the full article at Reuters.
Additional Coverage:
- CNN Money, June 29
