The FIFA World Cup may have cost the US economy up to $11.7 billion in lost productivity, according to a UKG estimate.
Office attendance dropped sharply after the US men's team's Round of 16 exit, with visitor traffic seeing the biggest decline.
Researchers say attendance has largely recovered and the World Cup final is unlikely to have a similar impact.
The FIFA World Cup may have delivered memorable moments for football fans, but it also came with a significant economic cost for the United States (US), according to a report by NDTV Profit.
Citing estimates from human resources software company UKG, the report said the tournament may have reduced US productivity by as much as $11.7 billion, while the global productivity impact could reach $17 billion.
4 July 2026
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The estimates come as employers across the US reported higher absenteeism, late arrivals and employees leaving work early to follow World Cup matches.
US Team's Exit Hit Office Attendance
Fresh workplace data from office management platform Envoy, cited by the publication, showed the sharpest disruption came after the United States men's team's Round of 16 defeat to Belgium.
Office attendance fell 26% on July 7, the day after the US was knocked out of the tournament. Envoy described the decline as "Knockout Tuesday."
According to the report, the drop was nearly 10 times larger than the decline in office attendance recorded after the Super Bowl earlier this year, highlighting the strong impact of the US team's World Cup campaign on workplace behaviour.
Businesses Delayed Meetings, Not Work
The report found that the decline was driven more by reduced business activity than employees staying away from work altogether.
Employee office entries declined 11.5%, while visitor traffic—including client meetings, interviews and vendor appointments—fell 32%. This suggests many companies postponed meetings instead of shutting offices or allowing widespread absenteeism.
Workplace attendance gradually returned closer to normal after the US exited the tournament, even as the World Cup progressed to the quarterfinal stage.
Host Cities Saw Stable Attendance
Host cities generally saw office attendance remain relatively stable on match days, with local business activity offsetting changes in employee work patterns.
Seattle was an exception. The city recorded a noticeable decline in office attendance on the morning after hosting the US-Belgium match, which Envoy described as a delayed "hangover effect."
With the US no longer in the tournament, researchers expect the workplace impact following the World Cup final to be far smaller than the disruption seen after the national team's elimination.
