Tehran University of Medical Sciences Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases 2322-1984 0 0 2026 05 30 1936 1936 Ismaeil Alizadeh Department of Vector Biology and Control, Faculty of Public Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran, Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammad Mehdi Sedaghat Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran 2026 03 28 2026 05 26 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. https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/view/1936 https://jad.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jad/article/download/1936/722