Goldman Sachs thinks the FIFA World Cup in North America this summer could be a major catalyst for a wide variety of stocks. The first game is on June 11, and the championship game will be played on July 19. The U.S. will host 78 games, and Mexico and Canada will host 13 games each.
Goldman Sachs
Analysts think that consumer-facing names should see the biggest tailwind, led by travel, leisure, media, and beverages, as fans flock to host cities and tune in and gather in groups worldwide. Airlines, hotels, and booking platforms have already pointed to a benefit with more international travel booked this summer in comparison to last year. Meanwhile, advertising-exposed media groups and broadcasters could also profit from premium pricing on live sports inventory, while digital platforms capture brand spend tied to real-time engagement and betting. Payment networks and card issuers are also on the list of World Cup beneficiaries as elevated cross-border travel, ticketing, and entertainment spending flow through their systems.
Among U.S. consumer and travel plays, Goldman Sachs pointed to names such as Booking Holdings (BKNG), Expedia (EXPE), and Airbnb (ABNB) due to strong exposure to accommodation and experiential travel in North American and European corridors. In the airline sector, carriers with robust transatlantic and intra-Americas networks, including Delta Air Lines (DAL), United Airlines (UAL), and American Airlines (AAL), were highlighted as key beneficiaries of World Cup-driven passenger demand.
Hotel and casino operators such as Marriott International (MAR), Hilton Worldwide (HLT), and MGM Resorts (MGM) were singled out as well due to their historic trend of strong pricing power around major events and constrained room supply in certain host markets. In payments, Visa (V) and Mastercard (MA) are seen as clear winners.
In beverages, Goldman Sachs singled out brewers and beverage giants with strong U.S. and European footprints, including companies such as Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD), Heineken (HEINY), Coca-Cola (KO), and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), noting that major football tournaments have historically coincided with higher on-premise volumes.
The Goldman analyst team also noted that Nike (NKE) is well positioned to leverage its scale, innovation pipeline, and wholesale relationships to capture disproportionate attention and market share within global football. Meanwhile, Dick’s Sporting Goods (DKS) and (ASO) were highlighted as having both started to incorporate World Cup assortment into their stores.
Other apparel companies leaning into sports that could see an incremental sales lift from World Cup tie-ins include Ralph Lauren (RL), PVH (PVH), and Lululemon (LULU).