The 2026 World Cup is scheduled to end on July 19 with a match between Spain and Argentina. For weeks, football fans have been glued to their screens, supporting their favorite teams and praising players for their performances, e.g. MessiKylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal.
However, this enthusiasm may lead to reduced domestic productivity in the United States.
2026 FIFA World Cup vs. US Economy
According to a report by HR software company UKG, FIFA The 2026 World Cup could cost the U.S. economy $11.7 billion in lost productivity. Globally, the tournament could lead to a $17 billion loss in productivity.
Reports show that a significant number of employees plan to leave work early, arrive late or miss work entirely to attend the game.
The effects are already showing this month. Attendance at the workplace on July 7 us It fell by 26% after the country lost to Belgium. According to data from workplace management and safety platform Envoy, the drop in attendance was nearly ten times greater than the drop observed the day after the Super Bowl.
Not only that, but the number of visitors, including customer meetings, interviews and supplier appointments, also dropped by 32%, nearly three times less than the day after the Super Bowl. The envoy dubbed the event “Knockout Tuesday.”
Team USA games and office absences
The absence rate peaked against Team USA. Workplace attendance slowly returned to normal after the host nation was eliminated, even as the World Cup entered a more exciting phase.
According to Bloomberg, this is not the first major incident that has diverted workers’ attention. Office attendance also dropped during the Olympics, which also coincided with the 2023 launches of Barbie and Oppenheimer.
Some companies are trying to mitigate the World Cup’s negative impact on productivity. Employers based in host cities, including Standard & Poor’s, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, have encouraged employees to work remotely on game days to avoid commute delays and traffic congestion.
What’s next after the FIFA World Cup final?
Envoy predicted attendance for the high-pressure game could be slightly down due to Team USA’s absence. The company expects absenteeism to be similar to the day after the Super Bowl, rather than Tuesday’s knockout game, with workplace attendance expected to be about 1.87% lower than a typical Monday.
The 2026 World Cup final is scheduled to be held at the New Jersey Stadium in New York. Defending champion Argentina defeated England 2-1 to secure a spot in the final, while Spain defeated France 2-0.
