As Canada prepares to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, new research from Employment Hero, an AI-powered employment platform, points to an underappreciated dimension of how Canadians are thinking about the event: not just as spectators, but as workers willing to restructure their professional lives around it. Fourteen percent of Canadians say they would likely consider taking on temporary or gig work tied to a major event such as the FIFA World Cup.

The urge to brag about your blossoming side hustle, that Etsy shop finally gaining traction, or the freelance writing clients rolling in, might be strong. But before you excitedly announce your newfound entrepreneurial spirit to your boss, take a deep breath and consider this: sometimes, silence is golden. There’s a certain mystique to keeping your side hustle under wraps. It allows you to nurture your passion project without the prying eyes of the corporate world.