Goals, grills and growth: What the World Cup meant for local business

Major sporting events can bring huge crowds and investment to host cities, but how much of that opportunity reaches local businesses? In this episode, Shayne MacLachlan from the OECD speaks with scientist, entrepreneur and investor Riana Lynn about what the 2026 FIFA World Cup meant for local food businesses in Atlanta and Mexico City. Drawing on her experience in both host cities, they explore how restaurants, food vendors, farmers and suppliers benefited from the tournament, and why some businesses were better placed than others to seize the opportunity.

Looking beyond the final whistle, they discuss what host cities can do to turn a few busy weeks into a lasting legacy. From supporting small businesses and local supply chains to celebrating neighbourhood culture and creating opportunities that endure after the crowds have gone, the conversation asks how global sporting events can leave local economies stronger long after the tournament ends.

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Transcript

Shayne 

Welcome to OECD podcasts. Now the 2026 Football or Soccer World Cup, depending on where you’re from, is over. It took place, of course, in Canada, the US and in Mexico, but the questions for host cities are not over just yet. 

Today we’re joined by Riana Lynn, who’s a scientist, entrepreneur and investor. In fact, Riana has built ventures at the intersection of food tech, AI and systems health. And we’re here with her today to look at what the tournament meant for local food businesses in Atlanta and in Mexico City. We’re going to look at what worked, what didn’t, and what future hosts of the World Cup football can learn. So Riana, thanks so much for joining us today on OECD podcasts. 

Riana 

Great to be here. Great to be here. Thank you so much for the introduction, and I’m excited to share what took place this summer. It’s been an exciting summer across, as you mentioned, Canada, United States and Mexico, and excited for the conversation. 

Shayne 

Brilliant, brilliant. Okay, well, listeners, excuse some of the kitsch references to football that I throw in here, but I’m going to say let’s blow the opening whistle at the risk of getting smashed for that. But Riana, what was it like actually on the ground at the football and soccer World Cup there? I mean, we followed all the highs and lows of the World Cup and particularly on the pitch from afar. Spain were champions, they beat Argentina there in the final, but you’re actually in a host city. What did it feel like to be there? 

Riana 

I actually had the privilege and honour of being in two host cities, mostly in Atlanta, but also a little bit in Mexico and in Mexico City, truly saw some immense, a tremendous amount of transition in the two, three weeks leading up to the games. I don’t know if I trusted that the cities were going to be able to pull it off. With millions of visitors coming through a shift in impact of, you know, tens of thousands of new jobs and, you know, onboarding of thousands of new businesses to be a part of the fold, particularly food businesses. And they really pulled it off. So you see train stations shifting and art going up everywhere and streets being paved. 

So it was, it was amazing to see how a city could sort of throw on such a, such an aesthetic hat there. But, but when the games came, I mean, the energy was absolutely amazing. 

You have teams like South Africa or Haiti descending in on these cities with, you know, amazing social media followings because they really carry the culture of those countries. And so to see actually locals come out as well, and not just people flying in from around the world and see so much diversity really pop up in Atlanta especially, was quite thrilling. 

Shayne 

Great. Sounds great. So it sounds like there was lots of energy regarding culture and teams coming in and so on. But I mean, what did the World Cup mean for local businesses? We hear often about visitor numbers, and I guess some of the wider economic boost from major events, but for a local restaurant or for a food truck or a supplier, where are the real opportunities when the World Cup comes to town? And what did host cities do this time to help smaller businesses, or what we call SMEs, to access some of these things? 

Riana 

There are a few things that took place. So in Atlanta, there were activations around the city that brought together both music and food. I would say those were sort of the two themes of the activations. And so you see over 1,900 businesses that supply hundreds of thousands of jobs every single year in the city. Now you get a significant economic boost to where they can provide. And really, you saw it across the board, these companies that you could order from and get a delivery in 25 minutes are sold out for days. You can’t order their catering. And from some of the reports and some of the businesses I talked to, both as clients of Journey and also just, you know, chatting with the business owners and different spaces. They’re super excited to see things like their first ever hotel contract or the need to double their workforce for four weeks, and what that would look like. But from, from my angle, I think a lot of businesses doubled or tripled their typical monthly revenue and some even more that had direct daily contracts with these fields and pop-up events. 

Shayne 

Indeed. I mean, we talk a lot about food supply chains, which are particularly relevant to the food industry. I mean, they stretch beyond host cities. Did you see or notice any of the benefits reaching producers and suppliers in surrounding regions as well? 

Riana 

Absolutely. So the World Cup ended right before, I would say, an August of supply chain disasters here in the United States and a little bit in Mexico. If you look at the news, there’s daily reports on supply chain prices, on beef prices, on banning lettuce and jalapeños because of pathogen scares in the supply chain. And so there wasn’t as much of that that was really public during the World Cup. What you did see was a local Atlanta Harvest, for example, selling out of their watermelons in ten minutes when typically they, you know, don’t sell out. So a lot of the local farmers with speciality fruits were selling out instantly. So you see a really true boost in, sort of the local seasonal supply chain, seasonal vegetables and fruits that could go into salads. And you know, as you saw with the Norway team, they flew in hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of groceries for their team. 

Shayne 

Oh, wow. 

Riana 

But where you saw businesses really thrive, were the more fresh supply chains, not your typical like hyper-processed, overly processed supply chains because those culture, the cultures that flew in for the World Cup are more used to, especially feeding an athletic team, and the culture is more used to local merchants, local farms and local food companies that can really serve a healthier, more fresh diet. And so you did. We did see a lot of those companies that are tied into a healthier supply chain have significantly increased demand. 

Shayne 

Yeah. So I mean, a healthier supply chain in more ways than one, which is fantastic. And definitely going local is fantastic. I mean, one of the cities you were involved with was in Georgia. It’s called Atlanta. A lot of people know about. It’s one of the biggest airports, I think even in the US or even in the world. But in Atlanta, there was a big push through a project called Showcase Atlanta, and this project connected more than 500 businesses to vending, contracting and partnership opportunities. And at the same time, reporting from Atlanta showed that some vendors faced high costs and disappointing sales, which is a different story. What do you take from the mixed picture that this particular situation paints? 

Riana 

You know, there was still a little bit of lack of full integration of some of the smaller businesses. Unfortunately, this is something that is going to be a multi-year process to, to fix and support supply chain for companies to be able to come through and be a part of big national and global events like this. We have LA is trying to prepare for it with like vendor showcases for the 2028 Olympics, Atlanta is hosting the Super Bowl and many other major, major events in the coming years, every year. And what happens is these companies expect to make $1 million in a month and, you know, whether they’re a food vendor or Airbnb vendor, and sometimes the concentration lies in the centre of the city. And so a lot of Airbnb owners and restaurants that are on the outskirts are not tremendously close to where the stadium took place, are not tied into the main nightly events. We’re expecting a little bit more. I know that Atlanta hoped that there would be a significant increase in the amount of visitors and ticket holders that came through from international companies. 

Shayne 

Sure, sure. And I guess the next question is really what makes the difference between getting through the door and actually making the opportunity of something like the soccer or the football World Cup worthwhile, in your opinion? 

Riana 

There’s a few things, and I think businesses have to be very responsible and making sure that, you know, millions of dollars or hundreds of thousands of dollars not just handed to them because they exist in that city, the cities that and the businesses that did best are continuing, that are continuing a lot of the same momentum. But they invested in social media while the games are happening before and after. And so a lot of businesses need to make sure that they understand that, you know, creators and influencers, especially in cultural hubs, can make or break the difference of expecting 5% growth versus 100% growth for a time in convening like this, you also have to make sure as a business that your workforce in your hours are really ready to go. And so as a business owner, you have to be prepared for that. So I think what I think a lot of businesses expected that they were just going to be droves of people on every single block. And while there were a lot on game days and, you know, during and after the games, there was still work to be done to make sure that you attract the right people, especially cities like Atlanta and Mexico are pretty sprawling. And so it takes a little while to understand every neighbourhood, every neighbourhood. These cities were just recently, in the past 2 or 3 years, got on Michelin lists that are strong indicators and they’re still growing in terms of the there are enormous amounts of offerings, and they’re both two underrated cities. And so a lot of people are still trying to understand how to navigate through these cities when they come to them. And so I think the owners should feel grateful for, for the opportunity for the showcase. But there’s still a lot of work that needs to go into it. Just like your everyday sort of business operations needs. 

Shayne 

Indeed, indeed. Okay, so we’ve, we’ve heard how Atlanta, Georgia was quite successful in getting onto the front foot. There’s a little football reference in there or not defending too deep, but it’s a different story when we travel south a little bit. And you also work closely with colleagues in Mexico City and particularly on informal food economy. So, you know, we can imagine that Mexico City is a very different case with street food and informal businesses woven into everyday life. So what did the Football World Cup show us about, including those businesses while still meeting requirements around safety, sanitation and of course, public space? 

Riana 

Mexico City is a very safe and clean place. And so they didn’t have much to do before folks came in, but they had nine times more visitors in the same amount of games as Atlanta. Now it is a much bigger city. With a population of sort of core population of eight million people which is the largest metropolitan population in terms of the population in the whole Latin America. So there was a lot of money that came in and that was spent. I think the city was well prepared for it many weeks before the game started. But what you will see, and as you mentioned, the informal food economy lends itself to just joy and excitement and, you know, great neighbourhood culture around, you know, the game. So a lot of people were able to just walk outside and spend a fraction of the money to get really, really great food and discover what all the city has to offer. I think when you have a city with culture and policies that have more acceptance of informal economies, whether that be food or home services or, you know, cultural, cultural services and, and opportunities like even having a, you know, a party with less red tape. I think any city like that is going to thrive when policy and red tape is reduced, either because it’s ingrained in the culture of the city already, or they sort of lessen it. Atlanta and many cities across the United States could work those into their best practices and building, you know, joyful, growing cities that can have many boosts in their economy when they share and show the informal food economy can help people thrive, especially when AI has really come in to shake what we think the future of many economies can be in the coming months and years. And so people are trying to adjust to that with like on Facebook Marketplace, for example, you can sell food, you sell food in plates with less red tape here. And, you know, cities like Atlanta and Mexico City, it just exists in a cart on the corner right outside of a football game. And I think there’s a lot to learn from what had already existed in the fabric of Mexico City and what they were able to prepare. 

Shayne 

Yeah, yeah. No, it sounds like they, they really stepped up there. And I mean, maybe the next question is kind of got two sides to it. Was there anything that Mexico City did really well, like what, what stood out or indeed, if you prefer, anything you would change next time? 

Riana 

Honestly, Mexico in general I think stood out. You had the amazing stadium in Monterrey, but back in Mexico City, one thing that really stood out is sort of them building out like a fully fledged citywide cultural festival, not just like a small festival that took place on game nights that you had in Atlanta, which was really fun. A lot of great performances from well-known musicians, but they really centred the culture of the city around, you know, more of a like citywide cultural festival. So it felt like more of a holiday every day than just a, just a sports convening. 

Shayne 

Yeah. Brilliant. Brilliant. I mean, one thing that we work on at the OECD is on global events. And in terms of learning from previous hosts, rather than starting from scratch in terms of your experience in Atlanta and Mexico City. Did you see any ways that they drew on lessons from earlier World Cups or events like the Olympics and Paralympics in Paris 2024? 

Riana 

Paris was great. The opening, because you had this, this sort of river. And I know you’re, you’re in Paris. But one thing that I do know is that the mayors of the cities really invested in sharing the culture between the food, the music, and incorporating as many businesses as possible. And so I think the mayors, not the presidents of the countries, but the mayors have to be really particular about how they think of culture and of, of their cultural stewards. And I think both cities did a great job of that. 

Shayne 

Yeah, yeah. No, it sounds like there’s lessons there that travel well between cities and certainly things that have been adapted, as you say, in terms of culture to this local context. And it’s interesting that from 2030, actually, the International Olympic Committee, the IOC will require Olympic and Paralympic Games hosts to use our own OECD impact indicators and guides when they design impact and legacy strategies. And looking at the success of things like local food businesses and indeed businesses. But we’re going to have to wrap it up there. We’re close to full time. But you mentioned earlier and I just wanted to pick up on this the, the Los Angeles effort. And, you know, the United States will welcome the world again, I guess you can say, in 2028 for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, if you, Riana Lynn, were advising LA28 now, what would you tell them to do so that local food businesses do not just get a busy few weeks or increased financial outcomes, but they come out stronger in terms of legacy and resilience afterwards. 

Riana 

Yeah, I love that question, and I’m so excited to see what comes through for, for LA in the next couple of years. I know they’re preparing quite intensely there. They have a lot to do with some new mayoral races this year, and also with some ambitious plans around their public transport. But when it comes to the impact of SMEs and small businesses, small businesses, and creating legacy and preparing, I think they really have to think about the shift of storytelling and the shift of economics when it comes through. Who are the stewards of economic and cultural growth, and that is, that is both with sort of the artists and the musicians and the small business owners that are such a key, a part of the economy, but also with the way marketing is changing. So in the past, you would market through Michael Jordan or Serena Williams or local LA or local LA athletes that could be, you know, centre of focus for them this time around. You know, in a couple of years, it’s going to look much different. It’s going to look like what just happened at the U.S. Open, where influencers and creators are going to be a bigger part of the central conversation and just bigger parts of storytelling. And so LA has been a part of the core of building storytelling, you know, from, from Disney to Spielberg to George Lucas for so many years. So I’m sure they’re going to have a lot of great ideas that come from these, you know, this global leader in entertainment. But things are shifting quite rapidly into individuals and less so, you know, from traditional past Olympics when it comes to creating storytelling, legacy and economic impact. 

Shayne 

Sure, sure. And very last question and very quick just to wrap up, because, yeah, we’re about to blow the final whistle, but after a few years, what would you still want to see there after the crowds are gone in LA? 

Riana 

Honestly, I would love to see spaces across the city. I have a good friend there, Ron Finley, who’s known as the Gangsta Gardener. Or you have, you have, wonderful public art exhibits that are going on now in places like South Central, you have Leimert Park, you have great Asian and sort of Mexican communities that you hope can continue to tell a story and not sort of be washed into sort of a unilateral, sort of a unilateral, I guess, wash, if you will, of culture. And so what makes cities great is that they’re able to stand on years and decades of the history of the people that made the city so impactful across the world. And so I hope that some of these communities will be on highlight and their stories and the events that they still hold today will be present. I know I spent a few weeks this year in Los Angeles, and shopfronts are shifting. And, you know, people are looking for ways to continue work there. And so I think the city will have to make sure that economically, with the rapid change of AI and film and other things that these communities and these cultural brokers will continue to be present, funded, and a large part of how the city structures events around the games. 

Shayne 

Yeah. So you could say that the next goal is absolutely crucial and that will bring us to full time, in fact. But Riana Lynn, scientist, entrepreneur and investor, thank you so much for giving us your time today on OECD podcasts. We’ve learned so much about what the World Cup really did deliver for local businesses and what events, international sporting events, can do going forward. So thanks, Riana. 

Riana 

Thanks, Shayne. Thank you for the questions and looking forward to speaking soon. 

All the best. 

Shayne 

Thank you. 

Riana 

Take care. 

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