The World Cup is not just a football tournament; it is a global money machine that can reshape parts of the stock market. With FIFA lifting the 2026 prize pool to $871 million and covering travel and lodging across three host countries, more money is set to flow through media rights, sponsorships, airlines, hospitality and merchandise. For investors, that raises the question of which global sports and entertainment stocks might be better positioned for this wave of activity. This article walks through 3 stocks from our Global Sports and Entertainment Sector screener that appear positively exposed to the latest FIFA decision.

Genius Sports (GENI)

Overview: Genius Sports is a London based sports technology company that captures and distributes real time data and video for leagues, sportsbooks and media partners, and layers on products like streaming, in game odds, integrity monitoring and fan engagement tools such as BetVision and FanHub.

Operations: Genius Sports generates essentially all of its US$713.5 million in revenue from data processing services, with sales spread across the United States, Gibraltar, wider Europe, the Americas and the rest of the world.

Market Cap: US$1.69b

Genius Sports sits at the crossroads of the data, betting and media spending that intensify around tournaments like the World Cup, and its role as an official data and fan engagement partner for multiple federations means it is closely tied to that rising activity. Analysts describe strong revenue growth and a path to profitability, while recent deals, expanded data rights and World Cup related products such as free to play games and real time ad tools are all factors in that narrative. At the same time, the company still reports losses, carries higher risk funding and relies on costly long term rights contracts, so execution and balance sheet discipline matter. What many investors may focus on is how those opposing forces line up when the full picture is considered.

Genius Sports sits between accelerating World Cup data demand and costly long term rights, so it pays to see how those tensions net out in the 2 key rewards and 1 important warning sign

StubHub Holdings (STUB)

Overview: StubHub Holdings is a global online marketplace where people buy and sell tickets for live events, from football and World Cup matches to concerts, theater and festivals, operated under the StubHub and viagogo brands.

Operations: StubHub Holdings generates about US$1.79b in revenue from Recreational Activities, primarily tied to live event ticketing and related services.

Market Cap: US$3.47b

StubHub Holdings is positioned in the path of rising demand for live experiences and the expanded 2026 World Cup. Management classifies the tournament as a Tier 1 event and highlights its track record of resale activity around past World Cups. The company has recently swung to profit in Q1 2026, trades on a P/S that screens as inexpensive versus peers, and is building deeper ties with leagues, festivals and partners like TicketSocket to widen ticket supply and monetization options. At the same time, funding is entirely from higher risk sources and regulators are scrutinizing fee practices and alleged “ghost ticketing,” so investors need to weigh how World Cup-related opportunities and earnings growth balance against these governance and policy questions.

StubHub Holdings has accelerating World Cup exposure and a fresh move into profit, but the real question is what the market might be missing in the analysis report for StubHub Holdings

Live Nation Entertainment (LYV)

Overview: Live Nation Entertainment is a global live events company that promotes concerts and festivals, operates and manages venues, and runs major ticketing platforms such as Ticketmaster and the Live Nation website, while also selling sponsorships and advertising around those events.

Operations: Live Nation Entertainment generates most of its revenue from Concerts at about US$21.2b, with additional contributions from Ticketing at roughly US$3.2b and Sponsorship & Advertising at about US$1.4b, partly offset by small other and elimination items.

Market Cap: US$41.9b

Investors looking at Live Nation Entertainment around the 2026 World Cup are really looking at a company that sits where rising global event demand, sponsorship budgets and ticketing technology meet. The business is building on its concert and venue scale, while a growing sponsorship and advertising platform gives it a higher margin layer on top. Analysts link this to an improving profitability outlook and a P/S that screens below some direct peers. On the other side of the ledger, Live Nation is still working through intense antitrust scrutiny, relies on higher risk external borrowing and has seen recent insider selling, all of which raise questions about how regulators, balance sheet strength and management incentives might shape the next phase of the story.

Live Nation Entertainment’s ticketing reach and sponsorship scale could be masking what really matters for investors right now, so it pays to read the 2 key rewards and 1 important warning sign before the next chapter of this story takes shape

The stocks covered here are only a starting point, and the full Global Sports and Entertainment Sector screener surfaces 6 more companies with equally compelling stories across global sports, media and entertainment. Use Simply Wall St to identify and analyze the specific catalysts, financial health markers and narratives that matter to you so you can focus on the highest conviction ideas in this space.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.