Football’s biggest events bring vast crowds, heavy travel and a festival atmosphere. Rights groups have long argued that those same conditions can create cover for predatory networks.
That matters because it shifts the conversation. The sport does not create trafficking, but the scale of a World Cup appears to increase the urgency around prevention.
The same report says Rights4Girls placed billboards near arenas and major traffic routes in those host areas, using football-themed messaging to challenge the idea that buying sex is part of event entertainment.
That approach is significant for two reasons:
The report also says the campaign directed people to state-law information, underlining a wider push to increase legal consequences for buyers.
For , local organisers and host cities, the lesson is clear: legacy cannot be measured only in attendance, revenue or atmosphere. It also has to include how vulnerable people are protected before and during the event.
As the 2026 World Cup moves closer, the next storyline to watch is whether awareness campaigns, policing and support services become a visible part of tournament preparation rather than an afterthought once the spotlight arrives.