The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to conclude on July 19 with a match between Spain and Argentina. For several weeks, football enthusiasts have been captivated by their screens, supporting their preferred teams and commending the performances of players such as Messi, Mbappe, and Lamine Yamal.
However, this fervor may have resulted in decreased productivity within the United States.
FIFA World Cup 2026 vs US economy
According to a report from the human resources software company UKG, the FIFA World Cup 2026 could have caused a loss of $11.7 billion in productivity for the US economy. On a global scale, the tournament may have resulted in a $17 billion decline in productivity.
The report showed that a significant number of employees intended to leave work early, arrive late, or completely miss work to view the matches.
The effects were already apparent this month. On July 7, attendance at workplaces in the US decreased by 26%, following the country’s defeat to Belgium. This drop in attendance was nearly ten times greater than the decline observed the day after the Super Bowl, according to the workplace management and security platform Envoy.
Not only that, but visitor entries, including client meetings, interviews, and vendor appointments, also decreased by 32%, nearly three times more than the day following the Super Bowl. Envoy referred to this occurrence as “Knockout Tuesday.”
US team match and absentees in office
Absenteeism peaked during matches featuring the US team. Once the host nation was eliminated, workplace attendance slowly returned to normal, even as the World Cup progressed to more thrilling stages.
This is not the first instance of major events diverting workers’ attention, as reported by Bloomberg. Office attendance also declined during the Olympic Games and coincided with the releases of Barbie and Oppenheimer in 2023.
Certain companies have sought to mitigate the adverse impact of the World Cup on productivity. Employers located in host cities, including S&P, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Goldman Sachs, have promoted remote work for their employees on match days to circumvent delays in commuting and traffic congestion.
What’s next after FIFA World Cup final
Envoy has forecasted that the high-pressure match may experience a slight decrease in attendance due to the absence of the US team. The company anticipates that absenteeism will resemble the day following the Super Bowl rather than Knockout Tuesday, estimating workplace attendance to be approximately 1.87% lower than on typical Mondays.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 final is scheduled to take place at the New York New Jersey Stadium. The defending champions, Argentina, triumphed over England with a score of 2-1 to secure their place in the final, while Spain overcame France with a 2-0 victory.
