Hosting the 2026 World Cup could bring more than $5 billion in economic activity to North America, the committee hoping to win the tournament's rights says.
The United Bid Committee -- made up of the soccer federations of the U.S., Mexico and Canada -- said a study from the Boston Consulting Group found that the countries will earn $3-4 billion after factoring in the costs of hosting the tournament.
"Our assessment found that if the United Bid Committee is successful in its bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it could generate significant short-term economic activity and numerous other benefits across Canada, Mexico, and the United States," BCG senior partner Cliff Grevler said in a statement released by the bid committee.
The study also found that each host city could expect between $160-$620 million in economic activity, or $90-$480m after costs.
The committee has compiled a list of 32 cities across that could serve as host cities for the tournament. Between 20-25 venues are set to be included in the final bid to FIFA, with the committee anticipating that 12 or more locations will be official host cities.
Under the bid's plan, the U.S. would host 60 of the games, while Mexico and Canada each host 10. The only competition to host the event is from Morocco, with FIFA set to decide on the winning bid this June.