Investors have had many headlines to consider in the last month, and the start of the FIFA World Cup may be another. This will be the first in-nation World Cup in history, spanning the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It’s projected to inject $41 billion to the global gross domestic product (GDP).
That’s enough to pique investor interest. But where should they look?
In the last 10 years at least, there’s been no such thing as a World Cup catalyst for the broader market. But the event has been a boost for some sector-specific stocks. Not surprisingly, Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) has been one of those names. The company will have its iconic swoosh prominently displayed again this year.
Nike could use the catalyst. However, there are two other names that have had a history of strong outperformance during the World Cup. More on that in later.
This will be the first World Cup when sports betting is legal in much of the United States. That has the opportunity to give one gaming stock an asymmetric advantage that could be a profitable lead-in to the heavily betted football season.
Can KO Stock Keep Climbing After Its Strong 2026 Rally?
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) doesn't just sponsor the World Cup—it practically co-owns the brand equity around it. Coca-Cola has been a FIFA partner for nearly 50 years and is back as the official non-alcoholic beverage sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
In 2026, Coca-Cola is running three television campaigns, a global Trophy Tour, a Panini sticker partnership with exclusive bottle labels, and fan experiences across all 16 host cities. The company also launched a social content series featuring a José Mourinho AI digital twin. This shows how the company is leaning into both football culture and emerging technology to keep the brand relevant to younger audiences.
The risk is that growth may already be priced in. KO is up about 19% in 2026, with much of that move in the last three months. That puts the stock roughly 4% above its consensus price target of $86.87. However, there’s a reason to own KO beyond near-term capital gains. Many investors are looking at dividend stocks as part of a flight to safety from an overheated tech trade. Coca-Cola is a Dividend King that has increased its dividend for 64 consecutive years.
Is There Still Upside Left in BUD Stock?
The beer sponsorship at this World Cup is a two-brand story under one parent. Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD) owns both Michelob Ultra and Budweiser, the tournament's official beer sponsors, with Michelob Ultra leading the company's World Cup push. The nearly 40-year relationship between AB InBev and FIFA is one of the longest active corporate partnerships in international sports.
Anheuser-Busch has made a strong recovery from a much-publicized marketing event with its Bud Light brand that correlated with a decline in alcohol consumption among millennials and Gen-Z consumers. BUD is up 28% in 2026, which, like for Coca-Cola, may raise questions about whether the upside is limited.
The fundamentals offer some support. BUD carries a consensus "Buy" rating with a consensus price target of $93.42, which still provides about 13% upside. Wells Fargo and JPMorgan have both issued "overweight" ratings since the company’s Q1 2026 earnings report.
The risk is that any controversy around alcohol and major sporting events, which has been a recurring narrative at prior World Cups, can reverse investor sentiment. However, after cuts to the dividend in 2019 and 2020, largely fueled by debt concerns, Anheuser-Busch has started to raise its dividend again, which could make the stock attractive to long-term investors.
Flutter: A Contrarian Play With Deep Roots
The World Cup is the single largest global betting event, even bigger than the Super Bowl. It’s a testament to the fact that soccer is an international sport. That’s where the case for Flutter Entertainment plc (NYSE: FLUT) starts.
Strictly based on fundamentals, there are reasons to like Flutter. The parent company of FanDuel has a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of around 23x. That's below the consumer discretionary sector average. Analysts are also forecasting nearly 70% earnings growth in the next 12 months. FLUT is also trading about 68% lower than its consensus price target of $189.26.
But there’s another reason that investors should consider, and it speaks to the company’s roots.
Flutter is based in Ireland, and it started as a merger between Paddy Power and Betfair. These companies were built largely on Premiere League and Champions League betting.
Some may dismiss that as anecdotal, but Flutter is the dominant sports betting app in the United States and has the operational playbook from running the premier football-betting brands in Europe to capture American and Canadian bettors who are newer to the sport.
The article "The World Cup Is Coming—These 3 Stocks Could Cash In" first appeared on MarketBeat.
