Here’s how much the 2026 World Cup will cost companies in lost employee productivity—the number is staggering

An estimated 5 billion people globally will watch the games, and some are already planning ‘sick days’ to do so, a new survey says.

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off Thursday, June 11, to much fanfare, but one thing companies may not have considered is just how much it will cost them in lost productivity. And that number is staggering.

An estimated 5 billion people globally (averaging over 128 million viewers a day) are likely to watch the games on-screen or in the stadium—and employees are already planning absences or “sick days” to attend watch parties, according to a new survey from UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group), a workforce management software........

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