Public health officials are anticipating a range of infectious diseases, from common ailments to rarer conditions, that could spread among the millions of fans expected to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Anticipating Potential Health Threats
Krutika Kuppalli, MD, an associate professor of infectious diseases at UT Southwestern and co-director for the Texas Department of State Health Services World Cup Infectious Diseases Consultation Hotline, has been focused on identifying potential infectious disease risks for the event. While acknowledging the possibility of less common diseases, such as Andes hantavirus, which was briefly mentioned due to Dallas hosting the Argentinian soccer team, Kuppalli noted that more frequent illnesses are the primary concern.
“Hantavirus was on my list of things to think about,” Kuppalli stated. “Would it be on the differential [diagnostic list] if I had a patient from Argentina who was from an area that we know where the vector is found? Yes. But it’s not the most common thing I think about.”
Instead, Kuppalli and hundreds of other public health experts across the United States are bracing for the circulation of more quotidian illnesses. These include influenza, COVID-19, chlamydia, and norovirus, which are expected to spread as more than 6.5 million fans converge on 16 host cities and interact with each other.
Public Health Preparations Underway
The 2026 World Cup will feature 48 national soccer teams competing in 104 games across 16 cities within 11 metropolitan areas. In the United States, host cities include Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Public health professionals in these 11 U.S. host metros have been engaged in planning efforts over the past 18 months to ensure fan safety and manage potential health issues during the tournament.
James Garrow, MPH, has been collaborating with colleagues in Philadelphia to address public health readiness and response strategies for the World Cup. According to Garrow, the health department’s approach will largely involve implementing its standard protocols and procedures to manage public health during large-scale events.
Steve Lopez is the Editorial Page Editor for News Raise. He covers Health. He has won more than a dozen national journalism awards for his reporting and column writing at seven newspapers and four news magazines.
