Argentina forward number 10 Lionel Messi kicks the ball during the Qatar 2022 World Cup soccer final between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, north of Doha, on December 18, 2022.
Kirill Kudryavtsev | AFP | Getty Images
There is a special excitement surrounding the Men’s Soccer World Cup. And the 2026 edition of the tournament will feature 48 teams instead of the usual 32 and three host nations instead of the usual one, creating even more excitement.
The games will be played from June 11th to July 19th from Vancouver to Mexico City, marking the first time the games will be held in North America since 1994.
There are winners and losers on and off the pitch. Goldman Sachs expects major sector beneficiaries to include companies in consumer staples in Europe and the United States, and retail and services in the United States. However, the investment bank also cautioned: “While the World Cup is undoubtedly a major commercial event, the macroeconomic impact on the host country is not necessarily large or long-lasting.”
World Cup could boost these stock sectors, according to Germany and Goldman
what is the probability
Deutsche Bank analysts believe sports betting platforms will also benefit. But a battle could erupt between traditional bookmakers and the ever-growing prediction market. This is the first World Cup where Polymarket and Kalsi became a significant force in the sports betting field.
Billions of people are expected to watch the match, but it’s not just soccer that starts next week…
AI offside
Investors will be keeping a close eye on AI stocks after a volatile trading day. US semiconductor giant Broadcom issued disappointing forecasts for sales of AI chips, triggering a decline across the global chip industry.
Expect more headlines with London Tech Week starting on Monday. Anthropic’s long-awaited IPO announcement and an update on its plans to go public from OpenAI are at the top of the agenda.

private market own goal
Shooting for the stars
While billions of people watch soccer, all eyes will be on the market as one of the most anticipated IPOs in history launches on Friday.
SpaceX is hoping to shoot for the stars when it goes public on Friday in the largest public offering in history.

Elon Musk’s giant company’s path to going public has been as dramatic as the World Cup finals. An unprecedented price point of just $135 per share, a sky-high valuation of $1.7 trillion, a reality check from S&P on entry requirements, and an unprecedented number of retail investors being approached. It’s all in tandem with the ambition to colonize Mars.
So as countries begin their quest for World Cup glory, investors are also looking to soak up the market moment.
This week’s highlights:
Monday: London Tech Week
Tuesday: Super Return Berlin
Wednesday: Super Return Berlin
Thursday: ECB monetary policy decision
Friday: SpaceX IPO
Disclosure: CNBC and Kalsi have a commercial relationship that includes customer acquisition and minority ownership.
