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The 2026 FIFA World Cup will inject billions of dollars into host economies, driven by a massive consumption surge that will benefit sectors as varied as tourism to retail and athletic wear, according to analysts. The iconic tournament, scheduled for June 11 to July 19 and set to be the largest soccer event ever, could power consumer spending at a time when broader demand remains fragile.
The first three-nation World Cup (WC) – spanning the United States, Canada and Mexico – is expected to boost global GDP by roughly $41bn, according to FIFA’s socioeconomic impact analysis, conducted with the World Trade Organization(WTO). Here is a look at stocks and sectors that brokerages expect to benefit from the once-in-four-years event:
B. Riley estimates a total of 13.1mn visitors to the World Cup, including ticketed and non-ticketed attendees, generating 21.3mn room nights booked in hotels across online travel platforms.
Analysts said US hotel operators Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt as well as online travel platforms Airbnb, Booking Holdings and Expedia are poised to benefit from the event. Marriott sees the World Cup-driven momentum to continue in the third quarter. Airbnb expects hosts in the New York-New Jersey area, Boston and Los Angeles to earn the most during the tournament.
Goldman Sachs believes the WC could be a ‘net positive’ for US airlines. “June is typically a seasonally lower inbound leisure and corporate travel period, with a meaningful amount of peak July/August outbound travel season occurring after the WC is over,” Goldman said.
A sharp rise in jet fuel prices due to the war with Iran, however, has forced US airline operators to hike fares that are pushing budget-conscious Americans to delay or cancel summer trips. Goldman estimates a surge in merchandise demand from fans to push up sales at Dick’s Sporting Goods and Academy Sports.
Sportswear brands such as Adidas, Puma and Nike can benefit through increased brand visibility and marketing exposure during the World Cup, analysts said. Goldman noted that Adidas, the official sponsor of the match ball, has kit sponsorship deals with several teams, positioning it to benefit from a global exposure during the event.
Citi said traditional grocers such as Albertsons and Kroger, along with bigger retailers including Walmart and Target, are likely to benefit from higher household spending during the WC.
Restaurant demand is also expected to rise, supported by tourism and group-viewings. This could lift McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza, Wingstop and Chipotle, along with food distributors such as Performance Food Group, US Foods and Sysco. “We expect the 2026 men’s World Cup to generate the highest US advertising revenue in the event’s history,” Deutsche Bank analysts said.
Morgan Stanley said the tournament could generate about $300-$400mn in advertising revenue for Fox, which holds the English-language broadcast rights. Deutsche Bank pointed to Comcast-owned Telemundo, which has the Spanish-language rights, as another beneficiary.
Internet companies such as Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta Platforms’ Instagram could get a lift from increased user activity, Citi said. Deutsche Bank expects online sports-betting firms Flutter Entertainment and DraftKings to relatively outperform, as World Cup-driven betting is likely to boost overall wagering volumes.
Macquarie forecast global wagers exceeding $50bn – nearly $0.5bn per match – for the tournament, compared to over $35bn for the previous edition in 2022.
