The World Cup’s biggest economic boost is arriving later than expected as the tournament enters its final days. But for the U.S. businesses hoping for a soccer boom, it’s better late than never. This week’s semifinals pit France against Spain in Dallas on Tuesday and England versus Argentina in Atlanta on Wednesday. Travel bookings have accelerated as the field of competitors narrows and fans converge from around the world to see the high-stakes matches. Every U.S. host city has seen an economic lift from soccer fans, according to Bank of America Institute. “You can see the World Cup effect on the ground,” said David Tinsley, senior economist at Bank of America Institute. “Spending picked up after the tournament kicked off, with restaurants and bars seeing some of the strongest gains as consumers turned matches into social events.” In-person spending in U.S. host cities rose 5% over last year from June 10 to July 5, with Kansas City leading the gains, according to analysis from Bank of America credit and debit cards.Argentina supporters dine at Joe’s Kansas City BAR-B-QUE barbecue restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri, United States on June 14, 2026, ahead of the 2026 World Cup football match between Argentina and Algeria.Juan Mabromata | AFP | Getty ImagesThe impact could be much higher, since the results capture only spending with BofA cards in U.S. households and does not include cash, checks and spending by international tourists or on corporate cards. Kansas City also saw the biggest weekly hotel performance gain among host markets, with revenue per available room (RevPAR) up nearly 50%, according to data from industry analysis firm CoStar. Philadelphia also saw a strong lift, with weekend RevPAR up more than 74% as its World Cup match coincided with Fourth of July celebrations and America 250 events. That was a relief to hotel owners who worried before the World Cup kicked off about soft advance hotel bookings and FIFA releasing large blocks of rooms back into the market. Fans react during a watch party for a FIFA World Cup 2026 round of 16 match between France and Paraguay at Lion Sports Bar on July 4, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Joe Lambe …
