Dengue Fever and the FIFA World Cup 2026: Time for Action

Abstract

The highly anticipated “Fédération Interna­tionale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 2026” is set to kick off on June 11 and conclude on July 19, 2026. This prestigious tournament will be jointly hosted by three coun­tries: the United States, Mexico and Can­ada. As millions of fans from around the globe flock to the host nations to experience the ex­citement of the matches in person, it is im­portant to consider the heightened risk of in­fectious diseases during such large-scale events (1). One notable concern is the trans­mission of Aedes-borne pathogens, including dengue fever, chikungunya, yellow fever, Zika virus, and West Nile virus. Past events, such as the Rio 2016 Olympics in Brazil, have illustrated the potential risks, as the Zika vi­rus, carried by Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopic­tus mosqui­toes posed significant challenges despite their relatively low incidence at the time (2). Given the widespread nature of den­gue fever, which is now endemic in over 100 countries and leads to an estimated 390 mil­lion new infections an­nually (3), the FIFA World Cup 2026 requires particular scrutiny in this regard. This letter aims to highlight the potential risks of dengue fever's global spread during such major in­ter­national events and underscores the im­portance of comprehensive public health measures.