2026 World Cup Made Localized Impact on Retail, Dining in Host Cities

The bump in retail and dining visitations for the 11 U.S. host cities of the 2026 FIFA World Cup was localized, Colliers and Placer.ai say in a new report. Near the match venues, dining visits rose 53.7% and retail traffic rose 22% year-over–year, while gains across the larger metro areas were minimal.

Sporting goods stores were the most consistent winner among retail categories during the 39-day tournament, according to 7 World Cup Lessons for Retail, Dining & Real Estate. Conversely, apparel stores and superstores experienced mixed results. Meanwhile, bars and pubs averaged a 9% increase in visits on match days.

“Mega-events create enormous consumer demand, but proximity alone does not guarantee that businesses will capture it,” said Anjee Solanki, national director of retail services & practice groups | U.S. at Colliers. “The properties that performed best became part of the fan experience through the right tenant mix, gathering spaces, or activations. For landlords and retailers, the opportunity is to move beyond simply being near an event and create destinations that consumers actively choose to visit.”

Pictured: MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, one of 11 U.S. venues for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.