WASHINGTON, Oct. 27, 2009 (Kyodo News International) -- The United States could gain an economic benefit of $5 billion if it hosts the World Cup global soccer tournament in 2018 or 2012, according to a study released Tuesday by the U.S. bid group.
The USA Bid Committee Inc., which called the projection ''conservative,'' also said that between 65,000 and 100,000 total new jobs is expected to be created in the various host cities during preparation and operation of the tourney.
''The numbers delivered by this study fully support our initial estimations,'' said Committee Executive Director David Downs in a statement, referring to the analysis undertaken by a unit of AECOM Technology Corp. (NYSE:ACM)
The nonprofit bid group is looking into 27 cities, including New York and Los Angeles, as possible host cities for its bid, which is to be chosen by soccer's international body FIFA on May 14, 2010.
The 2010 World Cup will run from June 11 to July 11. Brazil will host the 2014 championship. England is reportedly considered the frontrunner for 2018.
