Does the World Cup Get the Economic Ball Rolling? Evidence from a Synthetic Control Approach

30 Pages Posted: 30 Apr 2018

See all articles by Jorge H. N. Viana

Jorge H. N. Viana

Department of Economics - UFPB

Antonio Barbosa

UFPB

Breno Sampaio

Universidade Federal de Pernambuco

Date Written: April 11, 2018

Abstract

In this paper we analyze the impact of hosting the FIFA Soccer World Cup on GDP per capita in a worldwide sample of countries using a transparent statistical methodology for data-driven case studies – the synthetic control method. Using country level annual-data covering all events occurring in the period between 1978 (Argentina) and 2006 (Germany), we show that the estimated average treatment effect was either zero or negative for all but one of the countries analyzed. Our results, therefore, support the general claim that World Cups are not statistically associated to development and economic growth.

Keywords: Economic Growth, World Cup, Synthetic Control Method

JEL Classification: O4, O5, C50

Suggested Citation

Viana, Jorge and Barbosa, Antonio and Sampaio, Breno, Does the World Cup Get the Economic Ball Rolling? Evidence from a Synthetic Control Approach (April 11, 2018). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3160934 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3160934

Jorge Viana (Contact Author)

Department of Economics - UFPB ( email )

Brazil

HOME PAGE: http://https://sites.google.com/view/jorgehnviana

Antonio Barbosa

UFPB ( email )

United States

Breno Sampaio

Universidade Federal de Pernambuco ( email )

United States

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