The 2026 FIFA World Cup is predicted to spur a modest lift in gross domestic product in Canada, driven by tourism and hospitality spending, in keeping with a brand new report from BMO Economics.
“The important thing point is there are real economic effects from a big sporting event or a big entertainment event like this,” said BMO chief economist Doug Porter in an interview.
“But I don’t think we ought to be under any illusion that it’s anything apart from a short-lived bump from the increased spending, and it tends to be relatively modest.”
For the Canadian economy, the report said gains from tourism were estimated to are available at between $1 billion and $5 billion, while increased spending amongst residents is estimated between $500 million and $1.5 billion.
Those gains could translate right into a lift to Canada’s quarterly GDP of about 0.1 percentage points annualized, the report said, split between the second and third quarters. The impact can be most pronounced in Ontario and British Columbia, where the games can be played.
Porter said any level of growth “can be welcome and can be helpful given the proven fact that the Canadian economy has really struggled to grow in any respect prior to now yr.”
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“Even modest growth ought to be viewed as a win,” he said.
Last week, Statistics Canada said economic growth stalled in the primary quarter, resulting in a second consecutive decline in real GDP, which met some definitions for a technical recession.
With the tournament starting later this month, the report said the U.S. will profit probably the most from tourism spending, but Canada and Mexico can even see gains.
Spending at bars and restaurants is predicted to rise, the report said.
“Nevertheless … only spending by international travellers might be considered a net profit, since residents can be largely diverting money that may otherwise have been spent on other activities or at other times,” the report said.
Data from Moneris, released in 2023, found that bar and restaurant spending rose greater than 10 per cent in Canada in the course of the 2022 World Cup.
The BMO report said the strongest economic case for hosting the World Cup is for a short-term demand bump, but not as the inspiration for longer-term growth.
Previously, World Cup organizers have touted the potential economic advantages of the event; FIFA estimated as much as $940 million in economic output for the Greater Toronto Area, while the B.C. government last yr said the event would generate greater than a billion dollars in tourism within the five years after the games.
Last month, the federal budget watchdog said Canada will spend just over $1 billion to host the World Cup this summer.
That sum includes money from all levels of presidency. The federal government’s contribution is predicted to be $473 million.
The $1.07-billion total equates to a mean of $82 million spent per game for the 13 games that can be played in Toronto and Vancouver.
© 2026 The Canadian Press