Cities Subsidize World Cup Profits

Host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are committing hundreds of millions for security, stadium retrofits and fan events while receiving little direct game‑day revenue; prior analyses (e.g., a Texas Super Bowl review) found hosts often don't break even. The reporting shows FIFA captures much of the upside while municipal budgets and services absorb much of the downside. — This reframes sporting mega-events as a municipal‑finance and democratic accountability issue, not merely a cultural or tourism question, with implications for future bidding, budget priorities and equity between private organizers and public taxpayers.