Bank of America data and business accounts show late-June spending gains across U.S. World Cup host cities, with Philadelphia and Kansas City among the clearest on-the-ground beneficiaries as fans boosted bars, restaurants and tourism.
FIFA World Cup traffic gave a measurable lift to U.S. host-city businesses in late June, with Bank of America saying card spending at brick-and-mortar stores, restaurants and bars across the 11 U.S. host cities rose 5.3% year over year in the three weeks ending June 27, versus 3.8% in the rest of the country. The data reversed the prior three weeks, when host cities had lagged the national trend. While Bank of America identified Los Angeles and New York as the clearest winners in its spending data, anecdotal reports from business owners suggested Philadelphia and Kansas City also saw especially visible gains in bars, restaurants, hotels and tourism. The tournament concluded with Sunday’s final match, and a full economic tally had not yet been completed.