Hosting the Olympics, as seen with Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028, often sparks debates on its true economic impact. Despite grand promises, the Games frequently strain city budgets, leaving taxpayers to foot hefty bills.

Everyone seems to like the Olympics. Every two years, people rally behind their country’s athletes and root for them even in the most unusual sports we usually don’t pay much attention to. This year, though, it seems like everyone likes the Olympics except the French, since 44 percent of Parisians believe hosting the Olympics is a bad idea. You might not be too surprised about that, after all French people have rarely been characterized for staying quiet when they don’t like what their government is doing. 

Facade of the town hall in host city Paris, France, decorated for the Summer Olympics. 2024.

There seems to be a repetitive pattern in which citizens of the host city for the Games usually are not their biggest fans, 83 percent of...