Carlos Cordeiro on the Legacy of the FIFA World Cup 2026

8 snips

Jul 17, 2026

Carlos Cordeiro, senior advisor to the FIFA president and former Goldman Sachs partner, reflects on planning the 2026 World Cup across the US, Canada and Mexico. He discusses the joint bid’s operational complexity and projected economic impact. He also covers FIFA’s tournament economics, TV reach and the legacy for U.S. soccer and MLS growth.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ANECDOTE

How The United 2026 Joint Bid Came Together

Carlos Cordeiro describes assembling the United 2026 joint bid after prior U.S. failures and FIFA reforms.
He recounts persuading Mexico to join and creating the first-ever three-country bid that surprised observers and won in 2018.

INSIGHT

Economic Scale Versus Costs Of The 2026 World Cup

The World Cup's direct U.S. GDP impact is estimated around $20–25 billion, while FIFA expects roughly $14 billion in revenue from this cycle.
Tournament expenses approach $4 billion, and FIFA reinvests net proceeds into global football development and federations.

INSIGHT

Global Viewership As A Legacy Engine

The tournament will massively raise U.S. soccer visibility with a cumulative global TV audience around 6 billion and a final approaching 2.5 billion live viewers.
Exposure aims to show a welcoming U.S. and inspire youth participation that sustains long-term talent growth.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to become the largest and most inclusive tournament in the sport's history, spanning 104 soccer matches across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Carlos Cordeiro, senior advisor to the FIFA president, senior advisor to the White House Task Force on the FIFA World Cup 2026, and Goldman Sachs alum, joins Gene Sykes, co-chair of Goldman Sachs M&A and co-chair of the Global Technology, Media, and Telecom Group, to discuss the strategy behind the 2026 bid, the operational complexity of hosting 48 teams and millions of fans across three countries, and the impact of the World Cup on the future of soccer in the US.

This episode was recorded on June 8, 2026.

The opinions and views expressed herein are as of the date of publication, subject to change without notice, and may not necessarily reflect the institutional views of Goldman Sachs or its affiliates. The material provided is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation from any Goldman Sachs entity to take any particular action, or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any securities or financial products. This material may contain forward-looking statements. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Neither Goldman Sachs nor any of its affiliates make any representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the statements or information contained herein and disclaim any liability whatsoever for reliance on such information for any purpose. Each name of a third-party organization mentioned is the property of the company to which it relates, is used here strictly for informational and identification purposes only and is not used to imply any ownership or license rights between any such company and Goldman Sachs.

A transcript is provided for convenience and may differ from the original video or audio content. Goldman Sachs is not responsible for any errors in the transcript. This material should not be copied, distributed, published, or reproduced in whole or in part or disclosed by any recipient to any other person without the express written consent of Goldman Sachs.

Disclosures applicable to research with respect to issuers, if any, mentioned herein are available through your Goldman Sachs representative or at ⁠http://www.gs.com/research/hedge.html⁠

Goldman Sachs does not endorse any candidate or any political party.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices