The Fandom Effect: Sports Urbanism 2026

Despite initial fears that a North American World Cup would fall flat, our research found the tournament was a resounding success across multiple dimensions. It delivered an excellent fan experience in the moment, but it also created a durable halo effect, giving host cities a reputational boost and elevating the national mood. Even in the face of sky-high ticket prices, the vast majority of World Cup attendees we surveyed said their experience was worth the price. What’s more, nearly two-thirds of respondents became more interested in future events.

Following the fan conversation revealed the dynamics behind belonging. An analysis of social media posts made by fans at the tournament showed that they used collective, first-person-plural language (“we,” “our,” or “us”) 70% more often when posting from the public realm, compared to the language they used inside the bowl. This was true across every venue and at every stage. What’s more, when a post included words associated with awe and wonder, like “goosebumps,” “unreal,” and “electric,” fans used collective language 189% more often, regardless of where they posted from.

Arrival, entry, and ticketing were the only consistently negative themes that emerged from our social listening study. They were also the one stage of the fan journey where language associated with awe was almost entirely absent. Once inside, 80% said it was easy to view the action from their seats. The entry sequence was the lowest-risk, highest-return place to invest in design, both for major events and for everyday use.

The baseline survey conducted prior to the World Cup showed that the areas around venues are not yet delivering the same experience as the venues themselves. On average across the 73 venues and their districts, 87% of respondents who recently visited rated the venue experience positively, compared with 69% of respondents for the surrounding district. An average of 90% would recommend the venue, compared with 71% for the district. Gaps of nearly 20 points on both measures show how much room districts have to improve the experience outside the venue and build on the goodwill created inside it.