As the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics draw nearer, concerns over the impact of heightened border security and surveillance on mega sporting events are rising. In a new open access paper, senior researcher Rumyana van Ark (Asser Institute) warns that the World Cup risks becoming a “stage for repression” rather than a celebration of football.
United States vice-president JD Vance, representing one of the World Cup hosts, stated that while fans are welcome to “enjoy, have fun, and celebrate the game,” they must “go home” when their time is up. His remarks underscore a broader trend: the increasing use of identity management technologies as a foundational element of national and transnational security strategies.
Biometric data, DNA profiles, and digital footprints - from travel history to social media activity - are now routinely used to assess security risks, reducing individuals’ identities to a set of traceable, digital markers. As a result, these narrowed digital identities are increasingly relied upon to determine whether an individual constitutes a security threat.
FIFA’s own guidelines make clear that hosting the tournament must not compromise national immigration and security standards, meaning that fans can expect stringent checks and monitoring. With most matches set to take place in the United States, the event offers the current administration an opportunity to expand pre-screening programs and the FAN ID system, further categorising individuals as “safe” or “unsafe” in the name of border security.
While the specific format of the 2026 FAN ID remains under development, the joint bid from Canada, Mexico, and the United States outlines plans for a unified, multi-country system. This platform is intended for attendees who have already secured the necessary visas. Furthermore, existing trusted traveler programs - particularly those facilitating transit between the U.S. and Canada - are expected to serve as a foundational element of the final FAN ID framework.
As Van Ark writes: “While there have been numerous critical reflections on the impact on the right to privacy of these particular sets of safe or low risks individuals, there has been far less discussion on how entering into a stadium or a fan zone may no longer be simply the start of supporting your team or favourite athlete but also a (recurrent) virtual border crossing subject to stringent pre-clearance requirements. As preparations for the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics shift up a gear, concerns over what impact the ever-increasing securitisation of borders and individuals will have on these mega sporting events have unsurprisingly risen.”
The result is a tournament at risk of prioritising control over celebration, where the spirit of football is eclipsed by the machinery of surveillance. Rather than a celebration of football, the World Cup risks becoming a “stage for repression”.
Read the full paper (open access)
From ‘Terrorizing the Other’ to Securitising All: The Turn towards Coercive Identity Management
This article builds on a presentation within the workshop 'Security in the Digital Age' organised by the Erasmus Center of Law and Digitalization (ECLD) and Amsterdam Law & Technology Institute | ALTI.