The Swedish Social Insurance Agency has analyzed how fathers took parental leave during the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, as well as the 2021 and 2024 Olympics. It compared leave taken the month before, during and after the championships with leave taken in other years.
The result? No "football effect" can be found.
"The comparison shows that there does not seem to be any World Cup or Olympic effect at all. The number of men who claim parental benefit during major championships does not stand out compared to the same month in other years," says Patrik Zetterberg, analyst at Försäkringskassan, in a press release.
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