Argentina soccer match scores $27.2 million for Lee County economy

AUBURN, Ala. – Not only did this summer’s soccer exhibition give fans a chance to see Lionel Messi score a goal at Jordan-Hare Stadium, it also delivered record economic impact while promoting Auburn University on a global stage.

A comprehensive economic impact and media exposure study commissioned by Auburn immediately following the June 9 match found the Argentina-Iceland exhibition generated an estimated $27.2 million in economic impact to Lee County and $79.7 million in media-equivalent exposure, while also generating significant direct revenue for Auburn University.

The study was conducted by Collegiate Consulting, a national firm focused on the collegiate marketplace that has worked with more than 750 universities, colleges, conferences and associations since its founding in 2005. The firm specializes in data-driven studies including economic impact, media exposure, institutional valuation and strategic analysis.

Work on the study began immediately following the match and continued throughout the summer, drawing on event financial data, ticket-buyer information, Placer.ai visitation data and lodging and visitor trends tracked by Auburn-Opelika Tourism to measure the event’s economic and community impact.

The findings were presented to the Auburn University Board of Trustees at its September meeting and are being released publicly following Thursday’s presentation.

“By any measurement, the Argentina-Iceland soccer match exceeded all expectations,” athletic director John Cohen said. “Auburn Athletics was thrilled to partner with our community to create this lifelong memory for fans while benefiting Auburn and our local businesses.”

The event generated substantial visitor activity, hotel demand and event revenue while placing Auburn traditions and the University in front of audiences well beyond the traditional college athletics footprint.

A complete sellout was announced for the match, with all public ticket inventory sold. In total, 75,390 tickets were sold, representing approximately 91% of Jordan-Hare Stadium’s 82,750-seat configuration for the event, with the remaining inventory having been provided in advance to local military members and community organizations.

Beyond those who were able to secure tickets for the event, data captured by Auburn-Opelika Tourism estimated 100,691 visitors in and around Jordan-Hare Stadium on event day. The event drew visitors from 47 states and 12 countries, further demonstrating its ability to attract a national and international audience to Auburn.

The match also created extraordinary demand across the local hospitality industry. Auburn-Opelika hotels reached 92.4% occupancy on the night of the event, generating 6,633 room nights locally and approximately 8,600 room nights across the broader region. The 92.4% occupancy rate exceeded the average occupancy for Auburn home football weekends in both 2024 (79.6%) and 2025 (83.1%), while also surpassing the highest occupancy recorded for a home football weekend across the previous two seasons, 90.1% for Auburn football’s matchup against Missouri in 2025.

The significance of that demand was amplified by the timing. On a Tuesday night in June, outside Auburn’s traditional peak athletics calendar, the match generated hotel demand that exceeded even the community’s biggest football weekends. The record visitor activity and hotel demand support the assessment of local tourism leadership that the match represented the most impactful single-day event on record for the Auburn-Opelika community, driven in part by the significant number of non-traditional, out-of-town visitors attracted to the area.

Further, the impact extended beyond those who traveled to Auburn for the event. The study found an estimated 582.1 million in social reach and 286.7 million in potential online editorial reach, as coverage and conversation surrounding the match introduced Auburn to audiences across the country and around the world. Among the moments that carried Auburn to a broader audience, content featuring Auburn’s iconic Eagle Flight generated more than two million views. Combined with additional broadcast and media exposure, the study valued the event’s total media-equivalent exposure at approximately $79.7 million to Auburn University and the Auburn-Opelika community.

Together, the findings support a rare combination of economic return, worldwide brand exposure, institutional engagement and direct Auburn University revenue.

The exhibition between Argentina and Iceland yielded immediate and long-term benefits, say local leaders.

“To host an international soccer match that included the best player in the world and the defending World Cup champions was a blessing for the city,” Auburn Mayor Ron Anders said. “That soccer match infused in our city a level of excitement that we normally do not have in the summertime, benefiting our local business and restaurants.”

Anders believes the soccer exhibition could continue to pay dividends for years to come.

“Maybe somebody came to our community who is now thinking about coming to college at Auburn,” he said. “Maybe somebody came to our community who’s now thinking I’d like to work in that town or move to that town.

“Maybe somebody came to our community who says, ‘I’ve got a restaurant, I’ve got an idea or I’ve got a company and I’d like to land it in Auburn. They’re close to the Atlanta airport, they’re on a major interstate. This makes sense to me.’

“You never know what comes from exposing our community to new people. I believe long-term that will be one of the greatest benefits of the soccer match.”

Ithaka Hospitality Partners founder and CEO Hans van der Reijden agrees with Anders’ assessment.

“The international soccer match brought the kind of energy and economic impact to Auburn that we typically only experience on a major home football game weekend,” van der Reijden said. “Our hotels were sold out, our restaurants had long waitlists, and Hey Day Market experienced one of its top 10 days since opening in 2022.

“As a hospitality company deeply invested in this community, we are incredibly grateful for the vision and effort it takes to bring events of this caliber to Jordan-Hare Stadium and Neville Arena. Whether it is international soccer, concerts or other major events, they create an extraordinary ripple effect throughout our local economy, from hotels and restaurants to retailers and countless other businesses.

“Just as importantly, every major event is an opportunity to introduce Auburn to a new visitor who may return as a guest, a student, a business owner or even a future resident. These initiatives bring tremendous energy to our community, and their impact extends well beyond the event itself.”

Within the $27.2 million in total economic impact, the study found that the event generated approximately $17.2 million in visitor and lodging impact within Lee County, comprised of $14.5 million in visitor spending and $2.7 million in lodging.

“The Argentina-Iceland match was an extraordinary success for Auburn-Opelika and an incredible example of what’s possible when our community and university work together,” Auburn-Opelika Tourism president and CEO Robyn Bridges said. “We saw tremendous demand across hotels, short-term rentals, restaurants and businesses throughout the area, while welcoming visitors from across the country and around the world. An event of this scale and international significance stands on its own as a remarkable economic and tourism win for our community, and we were thrilled to play a role in making it happen.”

“We were excited about the announcement for June's soccer match knowing that it would provide an added opportunity for our businesses to engage with new customers and hopefully find an increase in sales from their usual summer business,” Auburn Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Anna Hovey said. “I love any chance for our community to welcome people to town and let our Southern hospitality shine. I appreciate Auburn Athletics’ interest in expanding its program of events and hope that our businesses find a positive impact beyond typical sports seasons.”

The soccer exhibition brought an influx of first-time visitors, says Jessica Kohn, coordinator of the Auburn Downtown Merchants Association.

“The merchants were excited to show off our community to people who had never been in Auburn before,” Kohn said. “These were new people coming in and highlighting our local community and our local businesses. The merchants talked about the diverse atmosphere, the amount of people who came in from all over, and how many different states were represented. Downtown was very busy, especially the day of the event.”

The impact of the match extended beyond Athletics and the local economy, creating two measurable periods of increased engagement with Auburn University Admissions. On April 9, the day the match was announced, the Admissions site recorded approximately 4,000 views, its second-highest daily total of the month.

Interest increased again around the event itself, with nearly 6,000 Admissions site views across June 8-9. Importantly, engagement extended beyond general awareness, with two of the most-viewed pages during the match window including the Admissions homepage and Virtual Tour page, reflecting interest across multiple stages of the prospective student journey.

The soccer match was the largest in an ongoing series of events that have provided value for fans, local businesses, Auburn University and Auburn Athletics, including sold-out concerts, comedy performances, an autograph and memorabilia show, and a Savannah Bananas game.

“What made this event so special was the impact extended far beyond what happened inside Jordan-Hare Stadium,” said deputy AD/external affairs and chief revenue officer Rhett Hobart. “We had an opportunity to introduce Auburn to people from across the country and around the world, while creating significant value for our University and community. That is what excites us about continuing to bring major events to Auburn that create new revenue, support our community and introduce new audiences to our University.”

The full Economic Impact study is available HERE to view. 

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer