LONDON, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Cohosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States could generate more than five billion US dollars in short-term economic activity across North America, a new study shows.

The study, done by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a leading global management consulting firm, said that the joint hosting could support approximately 40,000 jobs and more than one billion US dollars in incremental worker earnings across the region.

The three countries are bidding to host the 48-team tournament in 2026, which will be the largest in FIFA World Cup history. The overall net benefit to the region would be three to four billion dollars.

"One of the strongest arguments in favor of the United Bid is the certainty that we provide to FIFA and its Member Associations," said Peter Montopoli, Canada Bid Director and General Secretary of Canada Soccer.

"As this study demonstrates, our hosting of the first ever 48-team FIFA World Cup will yield benefits to all three of our nations, and the global soccer community.

"Together, the United 2026 bid represents the largest commercial market in the world, offering the opportunity for substantial economic and social benefit for our host cities and for FIFA, providing the stability needed to propel global football forward for years to come," said Yon De Luisa, Mexico's Bid Director.

"Hosting a truly United Bid will give us an opportunity to make FIFA's new vision come alive and will help harness the economic power of the North American market to promote, enhance and enrich the game we all love," De Luisa said.

The study also shows that beyond the near-term economic impact, hosting the FIFA World Cup would bring significant, longer-term economic benefits.

"For example, host cities and countries would profit from global media exposure, boosting long-term tourism by raising the profile of host cities," it said.

The three countries will be making history if chosen to cohost the 2026 FIFA World Cup, representing the first time that matches have been hosted in three different nations.

The number of matches will increase from 64 to 80 and the number of qualifying teams will grow from 32 to 48. Morocco is the only other nation that has formally declared its intention to submit a bid.