The fight over Fifa’s abandoned $4.2b World Cup stake has drawn attention to something bigger. Tech investors are hunting for assets that feel resilient as AI reshapes movies, games and streaming, and global sports sit right in that crosshairs. For anyone focused on where long term attention and money may concentrate, this matters. This article breaks down three stocks tied to that story and explains how the same news affects each of them.

Manchester United (MANU)

Manchester United runs one of the world’s best known football clubs and has turned that into a broad business spanning matchday income, media rights, sponsorships and branded merchandise. The club reports all its revenue, around £684 million, under the operation of professional football clubs, largely tied to the Old Trafford stadium and its UK based activities. The stock carries a market value of about $3.7b.

Manchester United sits at the center of the World Cup stake saga because it is exactly the kind of iconic football asset that US private equity and tech investors have been targeting as a potential hedge against AI pressure on other media. The club is unprofitable today and relies on external borrowing, and some analysts have suggested a turn into profit within a few years. The stock has also been described as trading well below at least one estimate of fair value. Alongside this, there is ongoing discussion of a possible full sale by the Glazer family and a large stadium redevelopment question. This creates a rare listed football asset where governance, funding risk and potential takeover activity all converge, but where the overall picture still warrants closer inspection.

Manchester United’s valuation debate is heating up, and many investors may be missing how the club’s brand, takeover speculation, and funding needs all fit together. Get the full picture inside the analysis report for Manchester United

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Madison Square Garden Sports (MSGS)

Madison Square Garden Sports owns the New York Knicks, the New York Rangers and several development league teams, as well as a dedicated training center, giving investors pure exposure to US major league basketball and hockey. The company generates about $1.1b in revenue from recreational activities, all within the United States, and the stock is valued at roughly $9.4b.

Madison Square Garden Sports sits in the spotlight of the Fifa funding debate because it already is the kind of high profile, listed sports asset that private equity and tech investors are seeking as AI resistant entertainment. Investors get sought after franchises, growing marketing deals such as the expanded Lexus partnership and strong fan demand for live events. However, there is also a balance sheet with negative equity, an expensive valuation and heavy dependence on just two teams. With earnings still in loss but forecasts pointing to profitability and analysts debating how much value sits in the Knicks and Rangers alone, the key question is whether the current price already fully reflects the premium investors are willing to pay for rare sports assets that are perceived as insulated from AI disruption.

Madison Square Garden Sports trades on rare NBA and NHL scarcity, yet its losses and negative equity raise real questions about what is already priced in. Get the full 1 key reward and 1 important major warning sign and see what might be hiding behind the Knicks and Rangers story

AFC Ajax (ENXTAM:AJAX)

AFC Ajax runs one of Europe’s best known football clubs, with operations that include its Amsterdam based stadium and a youth academy that feeds talent into the first team and wider transfer market. The club is listed in Amsterdam with a market value of about €165 million.

AFC Ajax sits squarely in the spotlight as investors search for football assets that feel resilient to AI’s impact on other entertainment, especially after Fifa’s World Cup deal collapse highlighted how much capital is still circling the sport. The stock trades on a low P/S ratio of 0.8x compared with European entertainment peers, yet the club is unprofitable, reports declining earnings and relies entirely on higher risk external borrowing. Add in short management and board tenures and you get a rare listed European club where brand strength, academy pipeline and commercial partnerships are pulling against governance and funding concerns that many investors have yet to fully weigh up.

AFC Ajax’s low P/S ratio and academy pipeline suggest a story many investors may be underpricing. Get the full picture inside the DCF valuation analysis for AFC Ajax and see how one key risk could change the script.

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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.