The 2026 World Cup, set to be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, has been labelled the craziest tournament in history by economists, not for the football but for the sheer scale of its infrastructure demands. As the tournament expands to 48 teams and 104 matches, the need for stadium upgrades, transport links, and temporary facilities has created a construction boom of unprecedented proportions. For British infrastructure firms, battered by years of domestic austerity and Brexit uncertainty, this represents a golden ticket.
But who pays? The answer is complicated. Host cities are expected to shoulder much of the cost, but with public finances strained, private capital is being courted aggressively. This has sparked concern among unions and labour groups that workers’ rights could be trampled in the rush to build. The Builders Union of Britain has issued a statement warning that “low-wage, temporary contracts and safety shortcuts are a recipe for disaster.” Meanwhile, the government’s trade envoy to North America has been quietly briefing contractors on how to access the estimated £15 billion in contracts.
For working families in the North, this news is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it could bring jobs to a region starved of investment. On the other, the experience of past mega-events – London 2012, the Qatar World Cup – suggests that the economic benefits are often hoarded by the few. The cost of living crisis has taught us that bread-and-butter issues matter more than stadiums.
Still, the bidding is fierce. Firms like Bam Nuttall, Sir Robert McAlpine, and Interserve are all vying for a slice. The competition is not just about price but about delivering on time. With the tournament’s schedule already tight, any delay could be catastrophic. That means pressure on supply chains and, inevitably, on the wages of the workers who lay the concrete.
The real test will be whether these contracts become a lever for better conditions or a race to the bottom. The union movement is watching. And in the towns of the North, where the high street is hollowed out and zero-hours contracts are common, the World Cup is not a celebration but a question: who benefits?
