Factbox-Beyond the pitch: Brokerages bet on sector winners as soccer World Cup set to kick off

By Siddarth S and Rashika Singh

June 5(Reuters) – 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 $41 billion, 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:

HOTEL OPERATORS

B. Riley estimates a total of 13.1 million visitors to the World Cup, including ticketed and non-ticketed attendees, generating 21.3 million room nights booked in hotels across online travel platforms.

Analysts said U.S. 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.

AIRLINES

Goldman Sachs believes the WC could be a ‘net positive’ for U.S. 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 U.S. airline operators to hike fares that are pushing budget-conscious Americans to delay or cancel summer trips.

BEER STOCKS

More than 1 billion pints of beer will likely be consumed globally during the season, giving a 0.3% lift to the industry in terms of volumes, according to Jefferies. Improvements are expected in markets such as U.S., Mexico, Brazil and China.

“After five successive years of volatility, beer should be better in 2026,” Jefferies analysts said.

The tournament also sits at a favorable intersection of timing and geography. Roughly 75% of matches will be played in the U.S. while 84% of the matches involving participating countries are in the beer-drinking-friendly time zones, the analysts added.

Bernstein, Goldman and Jefferies expect Corona beer-maker Anheuser-Busch InBev, the official beer sponsor for the WC, to be the key beneficiary. Heineken, the world’s second-largest brewer, is also expected to get a boost, helped by its exposure to Latin America and Europe.

US RETAIL AND SPORTSWEAR

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.

FOOD, RESTAURANTS AND DELIVERY

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.

MEDIA AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS

“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-$400 million 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.

BETTING OPERATORS

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 $50 billion — nearly $0.5 billion per match — for the tournament, compared to over $35 billion for the previous edition in 2022.

(Reporting by Siddarth S and Rashika Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Joyjeet Das)