A shocking number: Mexico’s World Cup earnings revealed

Since June 11, Guadalajara hosted four matches, Monterrey staged another four, and Mexico City welcomed five, bringing the country’s total to 13 of the 104 matches that make up the 2026 World Cup. Now that the excitement has subsided in one of football’s most passionate nations, the cold economic numbers are beginning to tell the story.

How much economic impact did the 2026 World Cup generate in Mexico?

Before the tournament began, estimates of the World Cup’s economic impact varied widely. The Mexican Confederation of Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism (CONCANACO Servytur) projected between 65 billion and 200 billion pesos (US$3.7 billion to US$11.4 billion) in economic activity, while organizations such as IMEF and Moody’s Analytics were far more conservative, arguing that the tournament’s overall contribution would be relatively modest. As the World Cup progressed, expectations were gradually revised downward, with the final figures falling short of the most optimistic forecasts.

On Wednesday, July 8, Gabriela Cuevas, head of coordination for the 2026 World Cup in Mexico, announced that the tournament generated at least 50 billion pesos (US$2.86 billion) in economic activity across the three host cities—slightly below the initial projections.

GDP impact, however, largely met expectations. Before kickoff, analysts estimated the tournament would add between 0.14% and 0.5% to Mexico’s GDP. Current economic indicators place the impact at approximately 0.14% to 0.15%, in line with Moody’s Analytics’ forecasts.

Several factors contributed to the lower-than-expected economic return, including:

• Lower-than-anticipated international tourist arrivals.
• Hotel occupancy rates that fell below initial projections during parts of the tournament.
• Sluggish national economic growth, which reduced the event’s multiplier effect.
• A significant share of spending coming from Mexican consumers rather than new foreign visitors.

According to CONCANACO, the World Cup generated between 45 billion and 50 billion pesos in sales during the tournament’s first 25 days. The sectors that benefited the most were:

• Tourism
• Lodging
• Restaurants
• Retail
• Transportation
• Entertainment

Although Mexico has concluded its role both as a host nation and on the field, authorities in Mexico City remain optimistic that the tournament’s final economic impact will ultimately surpass the 50-billion-peso mark.

Security was a different story

Security became another major point of discussion throughout the tournament.

According to a dossier compiling data from Excélsior, Reforma, Expansión, and La Razón, Mexico recorded 970 homicides and 514 disappearances during the World Cup. While direct comparisons between periods before and during the tournament should be treated with caution, homicides did decline during its opening days.

On June 11, the tournament’s opening day, authorities reported roughly 30 homicides. June 16 was one of the days with the fewest murders recorded in the past decade, according to daily reports from Mexico’s Security Cabinet. However, the decline proved temporary. As the tournament progressed, the daily homicide toll once again climbed above 50 victims before the end of June.

Other indicators, including disappearances and violence against women, showed no meaningful improvement. Search collectives and civil society organizations argued that these crises remained unchanged and questioned whether the government’s efforts were focused more on projecting an image of security than on addressing underlying public safety concerns during the tournament.

UN Women also warned of a rise in domestic violence linked to alcohol consumption and the emotional intensity surrounding World Cup matches, a trend that has been observed during major international football tournaments.

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