AUSTIN (Nexstar) — As Texas hosts matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, one sports economist says projections promising billions of dollars in economic benefits for Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth area should be viewed with caution.
Houston’s FIFA World Cup Host Committee has projected the tournament will generate about $1.5 billion in economic impact for the Houston region, while the Texas Economic Development Corporation has estimated the Dallas-Fort Worth area could see between $1.5 billion and $2.1 billion in economic activity tied to the tournament.
Andrew Zimbalist, a sports economist who has studied the business of major sporting events for more than three decades, said those projections often rely on overly optimistic assumptions…