⚽ The U.S. Is Getting Pumped For The 2026 FIFA World Cup!

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Well it looks like you can no longer count on me to get an issue out on time this Summer, but I am pushing a new issue out right at the finish line of the week before I head off for the weekend. Gotta keep my 82 week streak alive!

I’ve been ramping up the content over on my The Business Behind The News YouTube channel, so if you haven’t subscribed yet you’re missing out on my some bad puns and dad jokes.

Usually news slows down in the Summer, but why would Summer 2025 be any different from the rest of this crazy year!?!? Almost makes me look forward to September after Labor Day when the kids go back to school, football starts for real (now these boring pre-season games like last night’s Los Angeles Chargers who destroyed the Detroit Lines 31-7.)

This Fall I’m planning a rebranding and refresh of this irl Media NEWSletter, and I think you’ll like how I’m planning to switch things up. More to come on that after Labor Day. Now onto today’s issue!

In today’s newsletter I discuss how the U.S. is getting pumped up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Microsoft joined the $4 trillion dollars market cap club, Sydney Sweeney became the face of the latest "memestock" rally, there’s a $22 million dollar mansion in San Francisco for sale with it’s own yacht and private hillavator, Ripple, Circle, and Fidelity Digital Assets apply for national trust bank charters in the U.S., and the NFL is fining over 100 players and two dozen club employees for reselling Super Bowl LIX tickets. Crime doesn’t pay people, especially when you have a multi-million dollar salary in the NFL!

Scroll on!

The Business Behind The News

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⚽ The U.S. Is Getting Pumped For The 2026 FIFA World Cup!

Today I’m talking about how all of North America is gearing up to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup across 16 cities across in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and how all 3 countries are anticipating a monumental economic surge from the games, with billions of dollars in projected revenue and job creation for host regions like the New York/New Jersey, Vancouver, British Columbia, and the Mexico City metropolitan areas. Let’s get into it.

The anticipation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is building, and with good reason, especially for the entire North American continent. As soccer fans from around the globe prepare to descend upon the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the economic ripple effect is projected to be substantial. The New York/New Jersey Host Committee is expecting a staggering $3.3 billion dollar boost to the regional economy, with $1.3 billion dollars allocated for labor and an additional $1.7 billion dollars in spending by tourists.

This is just one piece of the larger economic pie.

Across the 3 host nations, the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament could generate over $5 billion dollars in short-term economic activity, supporting approximately 40,000 jobs, and more than $1 billion dollars in paychecks for workers. This widespread impact underscores the collaborative nature of this unprecedented 3 nation hosting effort.

Take for instance MetLife Stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, which is set to be a central hub of the tournament, and is scheduled to host 8 matches, including the highly anticipated final game. MetLife Stadium’s proven ability to host major sporting events was a key factor in choosing it for the final game, and one only needs to go as far as the recent FIFA Club World Cup Final that completely sold out the stadium.

But MetLife is just one of 16 venues across North America. In Canada, Toronto's BMO Field and Vancouver's BC Place will welcome fans, with the latter having previously hosted the 2015 Women's World Cup Final. Mexico will showcase its rich soccer history with matches at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City – a stadium unique for hosting two prior World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986 – along with Estadio Akron in Guadalajara and Estadio BBVA in Monterrey. Each of these venues, along with numerous others across the United States such as SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and AT&T Stadium in Dallas, represents a significant investment and a focal point for local economic activity during the tournament.

These mind-blowing economic projections are not without precedent. Large-scale international sporting events like the FIFA World Cup historically generate significant revenue for host cities and nations, and are usually profitable - unlike international sporting events like the Olympics. The $3.3 billion dollar economic boost for the New York/New Jersey region includes multiple revenue streams, including tourism, hospitality, transportation, retail, and entertainment. The economic impact in Canada anticipates up to $2.77 billion dollars in positive economic output, including $1.46 billion dollars for its GDP and $949 million dollars in labor income, creating 24,100 jobs.

In Mexico City, which is a vibrant metropolis and a cornerstone of Mexican culture, the city is poised to reap significant economic benefits from co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As one of three Mexican host cities, with the iconic Estadio Azteca set to host five matches, including the tournament's opening game, Mexico City anticipates a substantial influx of visitors and capital. It’s estimated that the 13 matches held across Mexico could generate an economic impact close to $1 billion dollars for the country, with a significant portion concentrated in the capital. This figure is primarily driven by the expected arrival of approximately 5.5 million visitors during the tournament. Beyond direct tourism revenue, Mexico City is also projecting the creation of 24,000 direct jobs related to World Cup activities, ranging from stadium operations to increased demand for hospitality and transportation services. There are high expectations that the total economic impact of the 2026 FIFA World Cup could be up to $7 billion dollars, when you factor in associated cultural, culinary, and sporting events throughout the country, truly cementing the World Cup's role as a powerful economic catalyst for Mexico City.

In the United States alone, FIFA's socio-economic impact analysis projects $17.2 billion dollars in GDP impact and an estimated 185,000 full-time jobs created. Cities like Dallas are expecting a direct economic impact of $1.5 billion to $2.1 billion dollars from their nine matches and related events. These figures across the board highlight the substantial financial injection that will permeate through each host city, far beyond just the New York/New Jersey area.

The sheer scale of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with its expanded format of 48 teams playing 104 matches over 39 days, will undoubtedly create a unique economic landscape for the host regions. Millions of supporters are expected to flock to the 16 host cities across Canada, Mexico, and the United States, booking hotels, attending matches, and utilizing local transportation. The 2026 World Cup is more than just a series of soccer matches - it's a major economic driver for all 3 countries in North America, which will have a positive economic impact on both the businesses and residents from Vancouver to Mexico City and every host city in between.

💰 Business

Microsoft recently joined Jensen Huang-led Nvidia in the exclusive $4 trillion dollars market capitalization club. Microsoft can thank its Azure cloud computing for helping propel profits in the last year. The company's latest fiscal fourth-quarter results painted a picture of impressive growth, with total revenue climbing to a staggering $76.4 billion dollars, marking an 18% increase compared to the same period last year. This significant revenue surge was complemented by a substantial boost in profitability, as net income soared by 24% to reach $27.2 billion dollars.

📹 Entertainment

In a surprising twist on Wall Street, actress Sydney Sweeney has become the unexpected catalyst for the latest "meme stock" rally, sending shares of American Eagle Outfitters Inc. soaring. The retail clothing giant, which had been navigating a challenging market with a 5% year-over-year revenue decline, launched a new denim campaign featuring the "Euphoria" and "White Lotus" star, generating immediate and dramatic market enthusiasm.

The campaign, boldly titled "Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans," quickly captured the attention of retail investors, particularly those active on social media platforms like Reddit's WallStreetBets, where discussions fueled a buying frenzy. This surge propelled American Eagle Outfitters Inc. shares by an impressive 17.65%, climbing from just over $10 dollars to nearly $12 dollars per share in a single day. This rapid ascent added over $400 million dollars to the company's market capitalization, pushing its overall valuation past $2 billion dollars for the first time in months.

This phenomenon is characteristic of a "meme stock" rally, where online hype and coordinated retail investor action, rather than fundamental company performance, drive significant price movements. With a notable 13.5% of American Eagle's shares previously sold short, meaning investors were betting on the stock to fall, the sudden surge triggered a "short squeeze," forcing short sellers to buy back shares to cover their losses, further amping up the upward momentum. While this celebrity-fueled boost provided a much-needed jolt for American Eagle, demonstrating the powerful influence of a well-placed endorsement, it also highlights the speculative nature of these market events.

The covid era of memestocks had Roaring Kitty as our hero fighting the evil big money hedge funds at their own game, and now we have Sydney Sweeney wearing tight jeans unapologetically. I’ll let you decide which one is a better role model for the Wall Street Bets crowd.

🏡 Real Estate

I was recently doom scrolling through my favorite app for middle aged males, Zillow, and came across this luxurious San Francisco Bay Area mansion on Marin’s Belvedere Island, known as Casa Dei Sogni, which is currently listed for $22 million dollars. You know a home’s going to have a big price tag in California when it has its own Spanish name.

The 5,100-square-foot estate was extensively remodeled in 2007 by architect Andrew Skurman, offers four en-suite bedrooms, which is a fancy way of saying each bedroom has its own attached bathroom just to clarify that, three other powder rooms, and an elevator, because if you can afford a multi-million dollar estate on the ocean you can’t be expected to walk up and down stairs!

The home boasts unobstructed views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline; great for entertaining and looking down on all those normal people.

The property's most unique amenity is its private hillavator, a word I had to look up too figure out its a sophisticated enclosed tram system that moves at like a 45 degree angle to transport rides from the street level entrance down the hill to the front door of the mansion.

And to top all that off, did I mention the sellers are also selling in a rare private boat dock on the San Francisco bay that comes with a 51-foot Sea Ray 510 Fly yacht, as well as a 60-foot slip at San Francisco’s famous Pier 39.

Side journey: I actually used to work for an advertising startup in NYC called Peer39 that was named after the very same Pier 39 while the Founder of the company was out in Silicon Valley raising the company’s 1st funding round. Oh how my life has come full circle now that I’m writing stories about expensive real estate that I will never be able to afford on the San Francisco bay.

But back to our main story about real estate opulence.

The Casa Dei Sogni estate last sold for $13 million dollars around ten years ago, but without the yacht. Now they’re asking $22 million dollars, but they’ve thrown in a yacht, a private dock on the San Francisco bay, a boat slip at the famous Pier 39, and your very own private hillavator? What more could you ask for for $22 million dollars?!?!

🏦 Crypto

Ripple, Circle, and Fidelity Digital Assets are among several cryptocurrency firms applying for national trust bank charters in the U.S., aiming for direct federal and state oversight. Circle, for example, sought to establish First National Digital Currency Bank, N.A., following a blockbuster IPO that reportedly valued the company at nearly $18 billion dollars.

These moves by companies like Ripple, which also launched its own stablecoin RLUSD, are seeking to integrate digital assets into the broader financial system, clearly showing they're not just playing with Monopoly money anymore.

🏈 Sports

The National Football League is fining over 100 players and two dozen club employees for reselling Super Bowl LIX tickets above face value, a violation of league policy. Players face a fine of 1.5 times the ticket's face value, while employees are fined twice the face value. It could have been worse, with some calling for suspensions and salary forfeitures. It seems some players just couldn't resist a little side hustle, even with their multi-million dollar salaries on the line.

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irl Media NEWSLETTER is written, edited, and published by Chris Thompson.