This year’s World Cup is testing the public health playbook

The FIFA World Cup 2026, the largest edition ever with 48 teams, is straining public health systems across North America as organizers prepare for millions of visitors. Experts highlight multiple overlapping risks, including an ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, which the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency in May. This follows a rare hantavirus outbreak diverting U.S. and international health resources, complicating response efforts. Public health officials emphasize familiar but amplified threats, such as respiratory diseases and measles surges in all three host countries—the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. Dr. Marcus Plescia, health director for Fulton County (Georgia), where Atlanta will host matches, noted that ‘common things will become even more common,’ including sexually transmitted infections and arboviruses like dengue, which could spread due to the influx of travelers. Heat-related illnesses pose another critical risk, particularly in summer conditions. Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, an epidemiologist and former CDC adviser, described the combination of crowds, sun, physical exertion, and alcohol as a ‘reliable’ trigger for emergency room visits. Local leaders in Santa Clara County, California, stressed the need for adequate resources to manage these challenges, calling public health preparedness an ‘invisible shield’ for communities. The event’s unprecedented scale—spanning three countries for the first time—adds complexity to coordination efforts. While health authorities have ramped up surveillance and response plans, the convergence of rare and routine threats tests the limits of existing public health playbooks. Experts like Dr. Rebecca Katz of Georgetown University’s Center for Global Health Science and Security have long warned about mass gatherings as breeding grounds for disease, but this year’s circumstances present unique challenges.