As the world turns its eyes to the 2026 World Cup, to be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, a chorus of British infrastructure experts is warning that the tournament’s rising price tag could leave a legacy of debt and underused stadiums. With estimates now exceeding $50 billion, the figure is a far cry from the promises of economic revival touted by organisers.
The core of the concern lies in the mismatch between gleaming new arenas and the communities they are meant to serve. “We have seen this before with London 2012 and the Qatar World Cup,” says Margaret Linton, a professor of urban economics at the University of Manchester. “The initial euphoria of hosting gives way to the stark reality of maintenance costs and white elephants. The 2026 bid was sold on the idea of a self-financing tournament, but every new stadium and transport link adds to the public tab.”
For working families in the host cities, the calculus is brutal. In Dallas, one of the eleven US host cities, the $1.5 billion renovation of the Cotton Bowl has been funded through a mix of public bonds and tax breaks for developers. Meanwhile, teachers’ unions have protested against cuts to school budgets. In Toronto, a proposed $1.5 billion transit expansion to connect the stadium to the airport has been criticised as a giveaway to tourists while routine bus services remain unreliable.
The wage bill for temporary workers during the tournament is another flashpoint. Unlike the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where migrant workers faced exploitative conditions, North America has stronger labour laws. But the gig economy dominates in many cities. “We are seeing a pattern where low-paid security, cleaning, and transport staff are brought in on zero-hours contracts,” says Paul Stevenson, a researcher at the Trades Union Congress. “The tournament promises jobs, but they are often precarious and poorly paid. The real profit goes to the hospitality giants and stadium operators.”
Infrastructure legacy is a particular bugbear for British experts who studied the aftermath of the 2012 London Olympics. The Olympic Park was lauded as a success, but it came at a cost of £9.3 billion, far above initial estimates. The 2026 World Cup has more moving parts: three countries, 16 host cities, and a format expanded to 48 teams. “Complexity breeds cost overruns,” argues Linton. “The more you stretch the event, the harder it is to control spending. And with the US dollar strengthening, the burden on local governments is even greater.”
For the average worker, the immediate impact is felt in the cost of living. In cities like Vancouver and Los Angeles, housing prices have already spiked in anticipation of the tournament. Landlords are evicting long-term tenants to convert properties to short-term rentals for tourists. In Chicago, the city council has debated an ‘Airbnb tax’ to fund public services, but critics say it is too little, too late. “The wealth generated by the World Cup flows upwards,” says Stevenson. “The guy driving the bus or cleaning the stadium gets a few weeks of overtime, but his rent goes up permanently.”
The tournament’s advocates point to job creation and global exposure. But the evidence from previous World Cups is mixed. The 2010 South Africa World Cup generated an estimated $12 billion in economic activity, but left behind a legacy of empty stadiums, particularly in smaller cities like Nelspruit and Polokwane. For 2026, the risk is magnified by the sheer scale of the project. “We are not building a stadium for a city, we are building a system for a continent,” says Linton. “The question is: who pays when the music stops?”
As the 2026 tournament draws nearer, the debate will only intensify. For now, the British experts are urging host cities to learn from history: invest in public transport and affordable housing, not just showpiece arenas. “A World Cup should leave a legacy of jobs and community spirit, not debt and displacement,” says Stevenson. “But if the current ‘cost-plus’ model continues, it will be another tournament for the wealthy, paid for by the rest.”
