HOST CITY | MATCHES | ORIGINAL EST. | CURRENT SPENDING | CHANGE |
🇨🇦 CANADA - CONFIRMED FIGURES (ALL AMOUNTS IN CAD$, LEGALLY REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE) | ||||
Toronto Canada · CAD$ · 6 matches | 6 | CAD $30-45M (2018) | CAD $380M | ~10× |
Vancouver Canada · CAD$ · 7 matches | 7 | CAD $240M (2022) | CAD $624M | +160% |
🇺🇸 UNITED STATES (USD$) - PRIVATE NON-PROFIT HOST COMMITTEES. NO CITY-LEVEL ORIGINALS DISCLOSED. | ||||
New York / New Jersey USA · 8 matches incl. Final | 8 | Not disclosed | $35M NYC prep + $307M NJ state funds + $48M NJ transit bill | Far above |
Dallas / Arlington USA · 9 matches - most of any venue | 9 | Not disclosed | ~$180M stadium upgrades | +30% |
Los Angeles USA · 8 matches incl. QF | 8 | Not disclosed | $50-200M est.* | +25-40% |
Boston / Foxborough USA · 7 matches incl. QF | 7 | Not disclosed | $8M Foxborough security¹ + $46.6M for security | Above est. |
Atlanta USA · 8 matches incl. SF | 8 | Not disclosed | $120M municipal bonds | On track |
Kansas City USA · 6 matches | 6 | $15M ² $60M: Missouri $50M + Kansas $10M (2023) | Original estimate + $13.3M federal transit grant + $59M security shortfall ³ | Far above |
Philadelphia USA · 6 matches | 6 | Not disclosed | $50-200M est.* | Above est. |
Miami USA · 7 matches incl. QF & 3rd | 7 | Not disclosed | $50-200M est.* Police overtime mandatory | Above est. |
Seattle USA · 6 matches | 6 | Not disclosed | $50-200M est.* | Above est. |
San Francisco / Bay Area USA · 6 matches | 6 | Not disclosed | $50-200M est.* | Above est. |
Houston USA · 6 matches | 6 | Not disclosed | $50-200M est.* | On track ⁴ |
🇲🇽 MEXICO - VERY LIMITED PUBLIC DISCLOSURE | ||||
Mexico City Mexico · 5 matches incl. Opening | 5 | Not disclosed | Major renovations ⁵ | Unknown |
Guadalajara Mexico · 4 matches | 4 | Not disclosed | No official overruns reported | — |
Monterrey Mexico · 4 matches | 4 | Not disclosed | No official overruns reported | — |
█ Confirmed significant overrun █ Costs above projections █ On track / no overrun reported
* $100–200M USD is the ITEP / The Independent range for each US host city based on infrastructure, security and logistics obligations in their FIFA contracts. True all-in costs are likely higher as fan zones, transit and medical services are frequently excluded from official figures.
KEY NUMBERS
~10×
Toronto’s cost explosion from CAD $30-45M when city councillors approved the bid in 2018, to CAD $380M (≈ USD $274M) today. The most documented overrun of any host city.
+160%
Vancouver’s cost increased from CAD $240M in 2022 to CAD $624M (≈ USD $450M) in the latest provincial update. “A million dollars per minute of regulation time.” - BC Taxpayers Federation.
10 of 11
US host cities that published no original cost estimate before signing their FIFA agreements. Only Kansas City disclosed a figure of $15M USD via a public council memo. The 2018 United Bid presented aggregate US figures only, never broken down by city. Watchdog groups have named this a structural transparency failure.
-31%
Average return on investment of the last three World Cups. 12 of the last 14 World Cups since 1966 resulted in financial losses for host countries. (Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, December 2025)
FOOTNOTES
¹ Boston / Foxborough: NYC invested $35M in city-wide preparations. The town of Foxborough separately sparred for months with the Boston host committee over $8M in security costs at Gillette Stadium, resolved only when Patriots owner Robert Kraft stepped in with personal funds. (Stateline / Rough Draft Atlanta, April 2026)
² Kansas City’s $15M figure comes from its Convention and Tourism Fund council docket, the only US city to publish a standalone cost commitment before signing. The council document explicitly answered the question “Does this deliver a return on investment?” with: “No.” Kansas City’s $60M original figure comes from the May 2023 state announcement: Missouri $50M + Kansas $10M, covering stadium infrastructure only. It was never a full hosting budget. The $15M city council figure is a subset (city operations only)
³ Kansas City received a $13.3M federal transit grant for bus infrastructure. As of early March 2026, the city was still missing $59M in security funding, resolved only after congressional intervention. (Stateline, April 2026)
⁴ Atlanta and Houston are the two US cities commercially on track, with early sponsorship deals closing and infrastructure on budget. (The Independent / Sports Examiner, December 2025)
⁵ Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca reopened March 28, 2026 amid community protests over housing, water and infrastructure shortages linked to World Cup spending. No official cost figure published.
SOURCES: Globe & Mail · CBC / Radio-Canada Enquête (April 2026) · Angus Reid Institute · Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP, Dec 2025) · The Independent (Dec 2025) · The Sports Examiner · Altitudes Magazine · Stateline / Rough Draft Atlanta (April 2026) · NJ State / Governor Sherrill · CBS Boston · Now Toronto · Global News · Al Jazeera · CFR · FIFA · Dallas Cowboys official release |
HEXAGONE · Economics · Geopolitics · Emerging Markets · April 2026 · Data Appendix