World Cup 2026
The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, which spans events across Canada, Mexico and the United States, will have an estimated 50,000 FIFA accredited journalists and media workers alongside many other reporters covering every aspect of the games, on and off the pitch.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is working to ensure that all journalists — accredited or not — can report on the world’s premier sporting event freely and safely.
Journalists have faced harassment, detention, threats and violence while covering major sporting events. Amid intensifying immigration and customs enforcement operations in the U.S., where most matches are hosted, CPJ urges all journalists to take precautions while covering the games. In Mexico, violence against local journalists is the most concerning. In Canada, journalists have faced occasional arrests while covering protests.
CPJ has long advocated for the rights of journalists covering sports and is a partner in the Sport & Rights Alliance, which works to embed human rights and anti-corruption standards across world sport.
CPJ has compiled safety resources to help journalists minimize risks and protect themselves against potential threats while covering the World Cup.
Encuentre recursos en español al final de esta página.
Traveling to the US
The majority of World Cup matches will be held in the U.S. where journalists have recently been scrutinized at the border and — in some cases — deported.
Journalists traveling to the U.S. to cover the World Cup may experience prolonged questioning and device searches at the border.
Follow CPJ’s guidance for proactive steps journalists can take to assess their risk and secure their devices.
Preparing to report
Journalists covering the 2026 World Cup should research the environment prior to assignment and prepare for risks they may face during travel, on the ground, and online.
Journalists traveling to the U.S. to cover the World Cup may face increased vetting at the border, including travel and entry restrictions. Press on assignment covering crowded events, including protests and fan events, should prepare in advance for potential escalation or violence. Non-citizen and citizen journalists should be aware of their legal rights in the country they are reporting in and make emergency plans in case of arrest or detention.
In Mexico, journalists covering stories of corruption or human rights around the World Cup may face harassment, threats, or physical violence. In-person and online attacks of journalists covering the World Cup may be especially acute for those of marginalized genders.
Covering crowd events
Journalists on assignment at World Cup venues, protests, and other crowd events may encounter crowd violence and police aggression, including violent dispersal tactics, detention, or arrest.
Journalists should prepare in advance by researching the location, establishing check-in and escalation procedures, and making sure they have the necessary equipment. On site, journalists can take steps to maintain situational awareness in a crowd, observe for signs of escalation, and plan exit routes. Journalists should also take pre-emptive steps to secure their devices to protect sensitive information in case they are stolen or seized.
Know your legal rights
It is important that journalists covering the World Cup know their legal rights and take steps to prepare in case of possible arrest or detention.
This is especially important for non-citizen journalists covering the World Cup in the U.S., who may be targeted by U.S. immigration authorities. International journalists traveling to the U.S. have previously been denied entry at the border and had visas revoked. Non-citizen journalists working in the U.S. have also been arrested, detained, and deported.
Journalists traveling internationally to cover the World Cup should research their rights at the border and identify legal contacts in advance of travel. International and local journalists reporting on the ground at events and protests should prepare for potential interactions with law enforcement.
Get help
Journalists can report a human rights concern to FIFA using the FIFA Reporting Portal or by emailing [email protected].
CPJ provides individual safety advice, emergency financial and non-financial assistance, and group safety training. To request safety advice or assistance, please email us at [email protected].
To access safety information, journalists can text CPJ’s safety chatbot on WhatsApp by messaging “hello” to +1-206-590-6191 and selecting from a menu of safety topics.
US Journalist Assistance Network
The U.S. Journalist Assistance Network is a coalition of U.S.-based press freedom organizations specializing in digital safety, physical safety, psychosocial safety, and legal rights, working together to help journalists prepare and stay safe on the job.
The U.S. Journalist Assistance Network organizations offer:
- Individual digital, physical, and psychosocial safety advice
- Training for groups of journalists and newsrooms on legal rights, digital safety and security, physical safety, and psychosocial safety
- Emergency financial assistance, including for psychological support, PPE, equipment, legal fees, and medical fees
- Legal hotline offering 24/7 free legal support
- Resources on legal rights, digital safety and security, physical safety, and psychosocial safety
Additional resources
Digital
- Reporting on the World Cup? Avoid penalties and defend your devices | Freedom of the Press Foundation
- Preparing devices for travel through a US border | Freedom of the Press Foundation
- Digital privacy at the U.S. border: Protecting the data on your devices | Electronic Frontier Foundation
- What to do if you’ve been doxed or placed on a watchlist | PEN America
Physical
- A guide to PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) | Committee to Protect Journalists
- 2026 Protest PPE guide | International Women’s Media Foundation
Legal
- Know Your Rights: Immigrants’ Rights | American Civil Liberties Union
- Know your rights: What to do if you are arrested or detained by immigration | National Immigration Law Center
- Legal strategies for foreign journalists in the US | IJNet
- U.S. entry & safety guide for green card holders, visa holders, and visitors | MEDC
- Police, protesters, and the press | Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
CPJ: recursos en español
- Preparación básica: evaluación del riesgo
- Seguridad física: la cobertura de protestas
- Seguridad física y digital: el arresto y la detención
- Guía sobre los derechos legales de los periodistas en Estados Unidos
- Guía sobre los equipos de protección personal (EPP)
Otros recursos
- Privacidad digital en la frontera de Estados Unidos: Protección de los datos en sus dispositivos y en la nube | Electronic Frontier Foundation
- Derechos de los inmigrantes | American Civil Liberties Union
- Conozca sus derechos: ¿Qué puede hacer si usted es arrestado o detenido por las autoridades de inmigración? | National Immigration Law Center
Featured image: Fans of Argentina cheer as the team parades on board a bus after winning the Qatar 2022 World Cup tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina on December 20, 2022. (Photo: Luis Robayo/AFP)