The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from 11 June to 19 July — 49 days, 104 matches. Vegas Insider analysed the full match schedule for 61 US cities to calculate how many hours of World Cup football fall inside the standard working day, and what that costs employers.

The answer is determined entirely by timezone. A 7pm Eastern kickoff lands at 4pm in Los Angeles, 3pm in Denver, and 6pm in New York. Over 104 matches those differences accumulate to a gap of 31.5 working-day hours between the coasts — nearly four full working days.

All 61 Cities — Interactive Chart

Toggle between estimated cost per worker, total cost, and working-day hours. Filter by timezone or host city status.

The 11 Official Host Venues

All 11 host cities ranked by estimated productivity cost. Timezone divides them more decisively than anything else.

The most disrupted timezone in the country. A 7pm Eastern kickoff lands at 4pm on the West Coast. Over 104 matches that adds up to 89 working-day hours — 11 full working days of football during office hours.

Central timezone host cities lose 67.5 working-day hours — 8.4 full working days. A 7pm Eastern kickoff lands at 6pm in Dallas, Houston and Kansas City — just inside office hours. Over 104 matches those late-afternoon slots accumulate to 10 more in-hours hours than every East Coast host city.

The least disrupted timezone — but still seven full working days of match time during office hours. New York hosts the Final on 19 July and loses 57.5 hours. Every Eastern host city faces the same exposure regardless of what stage they are staging.

The Cities Nobody Is Talking About

The host cities are only part of the story. Vegas Insider ranked all 61 US cities — and some of the most disrupted workplaces in America have no stadium and no matches.

San Jose leads the entire study at $882 per worker. Portland, Sacramento and San Diego all cost more per worker than Los Angeles. Denver loses 77 working-day hours — more than New York, which hosts the Final.

Every Pacific timezone city loses 89 working-day hours — identical to Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. San Jose leads the entire study at $882 per worker. Portland, Sacramento and San Diego all cost more per worker than LA. None of them have a match.

Often overlooked — but Mountain timezone cities lose 77 working-day hours, more than every East Coast host city including New York. Denver employers face $566 per worker. Phoenix's total estimated bill tops $1 billion. None of these cities have a stadium or a fixture anywhere near them.

The same 67.5-hour exposure as Dallas, Houston and Kansas City applies to every Central timezone city. Chicago's total estimated productivity loss reaches $2 billion — comparable to Los Angeles — driven by its enormous workforce. Minneapolis, Austin, Nashville and San Antonio face the same in-hours match time as the host cities beside them.

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