The FIFA World Cup 2026 gave a big boost to local businesses across Canada, Mexico and the United States, with cross-border spending rising by nearly 20% compared with last year, according to Visa.
The payment company said millions of fans travelled across the three host countries during the tournament, spending money on transport, hotels, restaurants, entertainment and shopping.
Fans from Colombia, Puerto Rico, the United Kingdom, Argentina and Brazil were the biggest international spenders in host cities.
Santa Clara/San Jose, Boston and Miami recorded the biggest growth in in-person card payments from local and international visitors.
Transport and entertainment attracted the most spending during the tournament, showing that fans spent well beyond match tickets. Contactless payments also increased, with tap-to-pay transactions up by nearly 12%.
Different cities saw growth in different sectors.
Boston had the biggest increase in restaurant spending. Guadalajara recorded the strongest rise in transport spending as fans travelled to and from stadiums. Atlanta saw entertainment spending climb around fan events, while New York City experienced a strong increase in retail shopping.
Several group-stage matches also led to sharp spending increases around kick-off. These included Ecuador vs Curaçao and Colombia vs Ghana in Kansas City, and Croatia vs Ghana in Philadelphia. “This was one of the most impactful FIFA World Cup tournaments we’ve seen to date both on and off the pitch. For a few precious days, entire cities came alive with new visitors, new spending, and new opportunities for local businesses,” said Frank Cooper III, Visa’s Chief Marketing Officer.
Visa’s data also showed the tournament had an economic impact outside the host countries.
Norway’s run to the quarter-finals almost doubled Visa transaction volumes during the country’s match windows. Spending linked to Norway’s matches was recorded in more than 60 countries as the team advanced.
