Representative image (Photo: Reuters)
The FIFA World Cup may be the biggest sporting event on the planet, but for employers it can also become one of the biggest workplace disruptions of the year.A survey by workforce management company UKG estimated that the 2026 FIFA World Cup could lead to at least $17 billion in lost productivity globally, with the United States alone accounting for $11.7 billion.The report indicated that millions of employees planned to change their work schedules, skip work, broadcast matches during work hours, or even go to work exhausted or suffering from burnout with the start of the month-long tournament.The results were published before World Cup fever swept fans across the host nations, with the tournament set to conclude on Sunday when holders Argentina face European champions Spain in the final.
Employees plan for vacation, late arrivals, and broadcast of matches
The UKG study, which was conducted among 8,000 employees in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States, found that 37% of employees globally intended to adjust their work schedules due to the tournament.More than a quarter (27%) said they were likely to miss work by arriving late, leaving early, or skipping work altogether.The survey also highlighted signs of “presenteeism” – physically present but less productive.
According to the report:
- 26% of employees planned to test the limits of what their managers would tolerate.
- 14% admitted that they intended to secretly stream matches or highlights while at work.
- 22% expected to return to work tired or exhausted.
- 11% said they would work while drunk.
“When absenteeism and presenteeism reach a large scale, the impact is immediate and costly,” said Suresh Vittal, chief product officer at UKG. “Productivity declines, customer experience suffers, and morale suffers as the rest of the team is left to cover the gaps.”
The United States is expected to take the biggest hit to productivity
Among the countries surveyed, the United States was expected to record the highest productivity loss at $11.7 billion.UKG country-level estimates include:
| nation | Estimated productivity loss |
| US | $11.7 billion |
| Germany | $1.34 billion |
| UK | $912 million |
| France | $749 million |
| Australia | $653 million |
| Canada | $479 million |
| Holland | $388 million |
| Mexico | $369 million |
According to UKG, losses were expected to result from absenteeism and decreased productivity while employees were at work.
Managers seek flexibility, too
The report indicated that technical directors were as keen to follow the tournament as were workers on the front lines.Compared to non-managers, managers were significantly more likely to:
- Plan a vacation during the World Cup (42% vs. 24%).
- Request schedule changes in advance (50% vs. 34%).
- Look for last-minute flexibility (45% vs. 28%).
Overall, 33% of participants said they planned to take at least one day off during the tournament.Meanwhile, 39% said they believed their employers would not be interested in the World Cup, while 19% said they would consider looking for another job if their work schedule negatively affected their ability to watch the tournament.“The World Cup is a test of how well organizations respond when circumstances change quickly,” Vitale said.“Employers don’t need to trade productivity for flexibility. They need the discipline to plan for the future, the foresight to act on every shift, and the execution muscle to turn pressure into performance, just like the world’s top soccer stars.”
Office attendance is already showing influence
Separate data show that disruption was reflected in workplace attendance.According to workplace management platform Envoy, attendance at US offices dropped by 26% on July 7, the day after the US lost to Belgium – a decline nearly 10 times greater than the decline seen after the Super Bowl.The envoy called the phenomenon “Tuesday Knockout.”Office attendance also fell by 8.5% on match day compared to the average Monday over the previous three months.Bloomberg quoted Sidney LeBlanc, a data analyst at Envoy, as saying that many employees called in sick, while attendance often dropped the day after matches as fans stayed up late to celebrate or react to the results.Some companies have already adjusted their working arrangements to minimize disruption.Employers in host cities, including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and S&P Global, have encouraged employees to work remotely on game days to avoid expected traffic congestion and commute delays.The final match of the FIFA World Cup is scheduled to be held on Sunday between Argentina and Spain. Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, qualified for the title fight after defeating England 2-1 in the semi-finals, while Spain beat France 2-0.Messi heads into the final leading the race for the tournament’s Golden Boot after scoring twice in the semi-final.