PARIS, June 6 — 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 US$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 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.
Airlines
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.
Beer stocks
More than 1 billion pints of beer will likely be consumed globally during the season, giving a 0.3 per cent lift to the industry in terms of volumes, according to Jefferies. Improvements are expected in markets such as US, 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 favourable intersection of timing and geography. Roughly 75 per cent of matches will be played in the US while 84 per cent 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 US$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 US$50 billion — nearly $0.5 billion per match — for the tournament, compared to over US$35 billion for the previous edition in 2022. — Reuters
KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 — Unifi TV has secured the rights to broadcast all 104 matches of the 2026 Fifa World Cup live in Malaysia, offering football fans comprehensive tournament coverage across three dedicated channels at less than RM1 per match.
Telekom Malaysia Bhd said the high-definition (HD) coverage would be available to both Unifi TV subscribers and non-subscribers, enabling fans nationwide to follow the tournament from any location and on multiple devices.
The full-season pass is priced at RM60, while existing Unifi TV subscribers are eligible for a special rate of RM50 to access all matches from June 11 to July 19.
“New customers can qualify for the discounted offer by subscribing to a Unifi TV package from as low as RM12 per month,” TM said in a statement today.
The Fifa World Cup 2026 season pass also includes access to more than 70 premium Unifi TV channels, including HBO, Cinemax, AXN, beIN SPORTS, SPOTV and tvN Movies, from June 11 to July 10.
TM said football fans seeking greater flexibility could opt for a daily pass priced at RM20 beginning June 12.
The company said viewers would be able to watch matches live in HD and access highlights, full-match replays and related content across smart televisions, mobile phones, tablets and web browsers.
TM Chief Business and Consumer Officer Anand Vijayan said the offering reflects Unifi TV’s continued commitment to bringing large-scale live content to Malaysians while strengthening its position as a leading digital platform for sports and entertainment.
“As one of the world’s most anticipated sporting events, the Fifa World Cup 2026 deserves a viewing experience that is accessible, seamless and immersive,” he said.
Interested customers can subscribe via the Fifa World Cup 2026 page on Unifi’s website, while existing subscribers may also purchase passes through the MyUnifi app, Unifi Self-Care Portal or Unifi TV 2.0 app.
The 2026 Fifa World Cup will be co-hosted by United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19, with the opening match to be held in Mexico City while the final in New Jersey. — Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — Malaysians will be able to watch the Fifa World Cup 2026 through the government’s MyGOV Malaysia app.
The Digital Ministry announced today that users registered with MyDigital ID will be able to access RTM’s ‘live’ World Cup broadcasts through the app’s streaming feature, which carries content from TV1, TV2 and Okey TV.
The move means football fans will be able to follow matches from the Fifa World Cup 2026 directly through the government app, which was launched last year to consolidate services from multiple agencies.
Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo said the platform was part of the government’s broader effort to improve access to digital government services.
“The MyGOV Malaysia app reflects the Madani Government’s continued efforts to improve how Malaysians access digital services. As usage continues to grow, the platform is being progressively enhanced to support scalability, performance, and user experience improvements,” he said in a statement.
According to the ministry, the app currently offers 51 services from 19 government agencies, including checks on travel restrictions, searches for unclaimed money and access to the PriceCatcher price comparison tool.
The platform has attracted more than 2.2 million users since its launch in 2025.
The Fifa World Cup 2026 will be held from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Communications Ministry previously announced that RTM and Unifi TV would serve as Malaysia’s official broadcasters for the tournament.
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