The business of football: FIFA World Cup momentum meets PH market opportunity

The ties between sports and economic growth have never been stronger, with global sports events increasingly seen as drivers of tourism, infrastructure investment, job creation and long-term commercial activity.

In 2025, the global sports industry generated $2.3 trillion in revenues, roughly the size of the world’s 10th largest economy. Revenues are on track to hit $3.7 trillion by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum.

As the world’s most popular sport, football is a big growth driver. A study by sports body FIFA and the World Trade Organization estimates that the 2026 Football World Cup—set to kick off on June 11 across the host countries of the US, Canada and Mexico—could add as much as $41 billion to global gross domestic product and support more than 800,000 jobs. Some 185,000 of those jobs will be in the US, with sectors like airlines, beverages, sportswear, restaurants, broadcasting, social media and online betting among those best positioned for a windfall.

This year’s World Cup will be a landmark in many ways. It will be the largest sporting event ever staged, with 48 teams and 104 matches played across 16 host cities. It could engage more than 6 billion people, and the projected attendance of 6.5 million fans will be almost double the previous record.

The tournament will also be the most connected and data-intensive sporting event to date: artificial intelligence, exascale computing, digital twins, data centers, robots and autonomous vehicles are all converging at the event. For example, more than 90 petabytes of direct tournament data are expected to be generated, and every team will use AI models to analyze hundreds of millions of data points and 2,000-plus performance metrics in real time. There will also be AI-run command centers across the three countries and digital twins of 16 stadiums.

This highlights two important things: that AI is now playing a mainstream operational role for the entire FIFA World Cup 2026, and that global sporting events are increasingly where technology, economic growth and finance clearly come together.

Events like the World Cup support consumer spending, tourism and local growth, while also spurring financial access, more robust payment infrastructure systems and high-volume transaction flows across borders.

Perhaps more importantly, host countries are not the only ones to benefit. Regions like Asia Pacific, and more specifically emerging football nations like the Philippines, can also capitalize on the global football mania.

Vince Valdepeñas—CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Why the World Cup matters to PH businesses

Football has become a booming industry in Asia Pacific, with a growing fan base across the region.

According to Research and Markets, the Asia Pacific football market can be worth more than $340 million by 2030, thanks to rapid urbanization, government support and youth programs boosting the talent pool.

In the Philippines, football is among the fastest growing sports, with the recent rise of the women’s national team pushing football further into the limelight. The Philippine women’s team qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand in 2023, and has made it to the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Additionally, the maiden edition of the FIFA Futsal World Cup was held in the Philippines last year, while the Philippine Football Federation built its new headquarters with support from the FIFA Forward Program. The FIFA Talent Development Scheme and FIFA’s Football for Schools program were both established in the country in 2023 to further bolster the local football ecosystem.

These developments are significant and reflect the growing importance of the sport in the Philippines. They also show the promise. The Philippines’ share of the global football economy is still small, so the upside potential for local businesses, investors and financial services industry remains massive.

In the near term, the upcoming FIFA World Cup will benefit local businesses by driving footfalls across dining, retail and entertainment establishments.

The Philippines’ emerging football viewing culture, underpinned by a young, digitally savvy population that is more interested in international leagues and tournaments, will keep businesses busy. Travel sentiment will get a boost, as will the hospitality industry, giving a fillip to long-term tourism visibility and commercial opportunities.

Philippine companies, especially small and medium sized enterprises, can plug into the global sports value chain by partnering with multinational brands, as well as by creating localized, tailored campaigns to draw in the domestic consumer base.

Given that the Philippines is a services-oriented economy, elevated consumer spending in the run-up to and during the FIFA World Cup could see a spillover effect on job creation in areas like content creation, digital platforms, media, e-commerce and hospitality.

At the same time, manufacturing strength is worth pursuing. As the global sports economy grows, opportunities will emerge in apparel, equipment, merchandise and events-related goods manufacturing that Philippine businesses can help co-develop, thereby growing their foothold in the industry.

Capturing opportunities

As FIFA’s first-ever global banking sponsor, Bank of America is in a unique position to serve its large Philippine client base. On the one hand, local firms can leverage the bank’s payments expertise and global network to enhance fan experience and their own cross-border businesses. On the other, the FIFA World Cup 2026 is a timely platform for the bank to reconnect with clients and communities in the Philippines through digital engagement, client hospitality and community-led programs.

This approach reflects Bank of America’s long-term commitment to turning global sports partnerships into locally relevant engagements that connect brands, strengthen relationships and deliver tangible community impact. The firm also partners with other major platforms like US Soccer, Major League Baseball, the Masters and the Boston and Chicago Marathons, all of which deliver strong community outcomes like inclusive access to sports and financial education.

This is a key differentiator, especially in a market like the Philippines where making a meaningful impact depends on deep on-the-ground engagement and continuity, reinforcing the bank’s view that real value is created only by providing long lasting benefits for local businesses and communities. INQ