2026 World Cup in US, Canada, Mexico Starts. Which Industry Stocks Are Expected to Benefit?

Tradingkey - On June 11, the 2026 FIFA World Cup will officially kick off its opening match, with the tournament running through July 19 across 16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This marks the first time in World Cup history that the event is co-hosted by three nations, and it is also the first edition to expand to 48 teams. The total number of matches will surge from 64 in previous years to 104, with the U.S. hosting 78 matches, while Mexico and Canada each host 13.

Investment banks Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs pointed out that this World Cup will serve as a major catalyst for numerous consumer, media, and betting stocks, particularly generating clear incremental growth in sectors such as tourism, dining, and sports betting.

Largest World Cup in history kicks off a trillion-yuan business feast.

The commercial value of this World Cup is poised to hit record highs, with Deutsche Bank forecasting the tournament will attract approximately 1.2 million international visitors to North America, providing a significant tailwind for local tourism, dining, and retail. While FIFA estimates the event will contribute up to $17.2 billion to U.S. GDP, the overall macroeconomic impact is expected to be relatively modest given the vast scale of the U.S. economy.

Compared with previous tournaments, the expansion effect and the three-nation joint hosting model have not only prolonged the duration of the consumption pulse but also created broader incremental space for various industry sub-sectors.

Global viewership is expected to exceed 6 billion across multiple platforms, establishing a unique "late-night to early-morning" consumption scenario while driving a demand explosion in sectors including cross-border travel, advertising, and sports betting.

Goldman Sachs notes that consumer-facing companies will be the biggest winners, with tourism, leisure, media, and beverages leading the growth.

Summary of Key US-Listed Beneficiaries of the 2026 World Cup

Tourism and Aviation: Full-scale Surge in Cross-border Travel Demand

The tri-national hosting model has significantly expanded the tourism reach of the World Cup, with 16 host cities spanning the East and West coasts of North America providing fans with more options for match viewing and travel.

Goldman Sachs noted that booking volumes for airlines, hotels, and online travel agencies (OTAs) have already increased significantly compared to last year, a trend that is expected to further accelerate during the World Cup.

Regarding OTA platforms, Booking Holdings, Expedia, and Airbnb have been identified by Goldman Sachs as core beneficiaries due to their extensive business footprints in North America and Europe.

In the aviation sector, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and American Airlines—which possess robust transatlantic and intra-Americas route networks—will directly benefit from the cross-border travel demand of global fans.

Within the hotel industry, Deutsche Bank is particularly bullish on full-service hotel REITs, including DiamondRock Hospitality (DRH), Sunstone Hotel Investors (SHO), and Host Hotels & Resorts (HST), while Marriott International (MAR), Hilton (HLT), and MGM Resorts (MGM) are expected to generate outsized gains in host markets facing tight room supply, leveraged by their positioning in the premium segment and strong pricing power.

Food & Beverage and Consumption: Viewing Scenarios Drive Global Consumption

World Cup viewing parties are expected to catalyze growth in global demand for the food service and consumer goods sectors.

Deutsche Bank contends that restaurant brands with strong ties to host cities, match-viewing events, and delivery services offer significant growth potential; global chains like Shake Shack (SHAK), Sweetgreen (SG), Wingstop (WING), Domino's Pizza (DPZ), Chipotle (CMG), Starbucks (SBUX), and McDonald's (MCD) were notably mentioned. Concurrently, sports bars and restaurant chains with high match-day foot traffic are poised to benefit from the rise in viewing parties and tourism.

The beverage industry is a perennial beneficiary of the World Cup. Goldman Sachs highlighted that brewers and beverage giants with a robust footprint in the U.S. and Europe—including official beer sponsor Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD), Heineken (HEINY), and Coca-Cola (KO)—will likely see a surge in sales volume.

In sportswear, Nike (NKE) is expected to capture increased attention and market share through its dominance in the global soccer market. Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS) and Academy Sports + Outdoors (ASO) are also well-positioned due to sales of World Cup merchandise. Additionally, apparel brands such as Ralph Lauren (RL), PVH (PVH), and Lululemon (LULU) could see a revenue lift through World Cup-related partnerships.

Media & Advertising: Commercial Monetization of Global Traffic

As a premier global traffic powerhouse, the World Cup triggers cyclical rallies within the media sector every four years.

Deutsche Bank expects Fox (FOXA) and Comcast-owned (CMCSA) Telemundo to be the primary beneficiaries in the U.S. market, capturing substantial advertising revenue, while Alphabet's (GOOGL) YouTube is poised to gain a traffic boost from match highlights and digital distribution.

Sports Betting: The Most Resilient Segment of This World Cup

Sports betting has consistently been one of the most definitive investment themes of the World Cup, and this year's tournament is being viewed as a historic growth inflection point for the U.S. sports betting industry.

Deutsche Bank forecasts that global betting volume for this World Cup will reach approximately $3.3 billion. A report from sports data provider Sportradar indicates that the rapid popularization of domestic soccer culture in the U.S., combined with the tournament's inherent massive traffic and strong real-time interaction features, will create unprecedented user growth opportunities for major betting platforms. It is estimated that 62% of U.S. soccer fans will place bets on the matches, covering the entire market spectrum from casual players to high-net-worth users.

More importantly, 29% of U.S. adults plan to place their first-ever sports bet during this World Cup, a demographic that will become the core incremental user base for which major betting companies compete. Meanwhile, over 50% of existing soccer bettors indicated they will increase their wagering amounts and frequency while engaging more in live betting, significantly boosting both per-customer value and lifetime value.

Payments and Financial Services: Hidden Winners of Cross-border Consumption

Goldman Sachs specifically noted in a research report that payment networks and card issuers are significant beneficiaries of the World Cup that are often overlooked. The surge in cross-border travel, ticket purchases, and entertainment spending will be processed through global payment systems; as the world's two major payment giants, Visa and Mastercard will directly benefit from the growth in transaction volumes and cross-border transaction fee revenue. Additionally, with the widespread adoption of mobile payments and digital wallets, relevant payment technology companies are also expected to see incremental business growth.