The World Cup gave small businesses in host cities a sales bump. That, at least, was a relatively predictable outcome. But findings shared in the September 2026 edition of the SMB Growth Report from PYMNTS Intelligence reveal that the bigger surprise is who delivered that sales dump. And it wasn’t all the tourists pouring in.

The PYMNTS Intelligence report found that 43% of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in World Cup host metros reported better than usual summer sales, versus 33% outside those markets. Yet visitors represented less than half of customers for 88% of host market SMBs. Among host area businesses reporting strong sales, just 29% credited 2026 World Cup tourism.

That is a valuable insight going into the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, mostly because it turns the conventional mega-event playbook on its head. The bigger economic opportunity as highlighted by the report may not be just importing new consumers. It is around getting an existing local economy to spend differently.

Mega-events are usually sold as tourism machines: Fans arrive, hotels fill, restaurants turn tables and outside dollars pour into town. But a major event can also temporarily change the behavior of people who live there. Residents go out more. They attend watch parties. They entertain friends. They spend around entertainment districts. Businesses advertise more aggressively, and an ordinary summer suddenly becomes an occasion.

In other words, these events can operate like a giant local demand-generation campaign.

For banks, payments companies and commerce platforms, the opportunity changes too.

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