PBESProceedings of Business and Economic Studies2209-26412209-265XBio-Byword Scientific Publishing Pty. Ltd.10.26689/pbes.v8i7.13126ArticleThe Impact of Sports Culture on Economic Development: A Case Study of FIFAhttps://artdesignp.com/journal/PBES/8/7/10.26689/pbes.v8i7.13126YanYiling,ZhouWenjie2025872025-12-15In the globalized era, sports culture has evolved from simple physical activities into complex socio-economic phenomena with significant economic potential. This paper takes FIFA and its flagship event, the FIFA World Cup, as a central case study to explore the multi-dimensional impact of sports culture on economic development. The research posits that sports culture acts as a powerful driver in the modern economic system by shaping global consumer markets, driving the development of interconnected industries, catalyzing urban infrastructure upgrades, enhancing national brand image, and creating employment opportunities. Incorporating substantial quantitative analysis and a novel econometric model, this study examines specific data on direct revenues, tourism boosts, investment scales, and GDP contributions. Furthermore, it offers a dialectical perspective on potential economic risks such as the “white elephant effect” and uneven distribution of benefits. Finally, this paper aims to provide a theoretical reference and practical insights for leveraging major sports cultural events to promote sustainable regional economic development.

Andreff W, 2025, Sport et Economie au XXIe Siècle, La Découverte, Paris.

FIFA, 2023, FIFA Financial Report 2022, Fédération Internationale de Football Association, Zurich.

FIFA, WTO, 2024, The Economic Impact of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, World Trade Organization, Geneva.

Mello M, 2024, A Kick for the GDP: The Effect of Winning the FIFA World Cup. Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 86(2): 345–362.

Qatar Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, 2022, Qatar 2022: Legacy & Summary, State of Qatar, Doha.

Brand Finance, 2023, Nation Brands 2023: The Annual Report on the World’s Most Valuable Nation Brands, Brand Finance PLC, London.

Price Water House Coopers, 2018, The Economic Impact of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, PwC Russia, Moscow.

FIFA, WTO, 2025, Socio-Economic Impact of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, World Trade Organization, Geneva.

Soccer & Society, 2025, The Effect of Hosting FIFA World Cup on Unemployment: An Empirical Estimation on a Panel of 10 Hosting Countries. Soccer & Society, 26(3): 215–230.

Wang X, 2014, A Study on the Impact of Sports Culture on Economic Development: Taking the 2010 South Africa World Cup as an Example, thesis, Xi’an Physical Education University.

Zimbalist A, 2015, Circus Maximus: The Economic Gamble Behind Hosting the Olympics and the World Cup, Brookings Institution Press, Washington.

Baade R, Matheson V, 2016, Going for the Gold: The Economics of the Olympics. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 30(2): 201–218.

Flyvberj B, 2021, The Oxford Handbook of Megaproject Management, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Keller K, 2019, Strategic Brand Management: Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity (5th ed), Pearson Education, London.

Coates D, Humphreys B, 2022, The Economic Impact of Sports Facilities, Teams, and Events, Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham.