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By Marni Rose McFall
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The 2026 World Cup is now in full swing, with the biggest tournament in history taking place across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
For many, the World Cup is a time of huge excitement and a moment for celebration. Images of jubilant scenes have already flooded out from the host cities since the tournament officially began on June 11. However, for survivors of and those experiencing domestic violence, large football tournaments like the World Cup can have an entirely different meaning.
For years, instances of domestic abuse have risen during major footballing tournaments. A global handbook from United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and UN Women found that in some communities, police reports of domestic violence rise by more than a third during sporting events like the World Cup.
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Joanna Otero-Cruz, executive director and president of Women Against Abuse, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit, told Newsweek, “Major sporting events don't cause domestic violence, but the heavy alcohol consumption, emotional stress, and broader sports culture that accompanies them can put victims at greater risk.”
As the 2026 World Cup continues to play out across 16 host cities, Newsweek spoke to experts about why domestic violence can rise during the World Cup and how the scale of tournaments could influence the abuse experienced.
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World Cup 'Can Exacerbate Existing Conditions and Inequalities'
A 2022 paper published in Health & Social Care in the Community titled “Major sports events and domestic violence” found that there is a “strong correlation” between “major sporting events and DV,” but noted more research is needed to understand the relationship between the two.
That study found that while gender inequality is the core driver of domestic violence, additional risk factors can be “harmful masculinities or male behaviors that involve poor attitudes towards women” that are exacerbated in certain settings, including sports.
Maïssa Hubert, the executive director of Equis: Justicia para las Mujeres, a Mexico-based nonprofit organization that works to combat gender-based violence and discrimination, told Newsweek, “The World Cup does not create forms of violence that did not previously exist. Rather, it can exacerbate existing conditions and inequalities."
Hubert added: "In Mexico, seven in 10 women have experienced some form of violence during their lifetime, and an average of eight women were killed every day last year, meaning the tournament is taking place in a context where gender-based violence is already widespread.”
According to data published earlier this year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is common in the U.S. More than one in three women experienced sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetimes.
A 2012 study by economists David Card and Gordon Dahl looked specifically at National Football League (NFL) games and found that in places where the home team was expected to win by at least four points, an “upset loss” can correspond with a roughly 10 percent rise in male-on-female IPV Immediately after the game.
Reports also vary by location. Research from the University of Lancaster in 2014 found that incidents of domestic violence during the England World Cup rose by 38 percent when they lost, and 26 percent when they won.
Kaitlin Geiger-Bardswich, the director of communications and advocacy for the Canadian nonprofit Women's Shelter's Canada (End VAW CA), told Newsweek that they anticipate an increase in domestic violence during the World Cup.
“We’ve seen increased police reports in Canada around major sports events in the past,” Bardswich said.
Newsweek also spoke to Rebecca Goshawk, the business development director of Solace Women’s Aid in the United Kingdom, who said, “We are always thinking about survivors who are already in relationships where they're worried about further aggression, or new victims at these heightened times. We are often preparing for surges in domestic abuse for a number of reasons across the year, and the World Cup is always one of those.”
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The Risk Factors
Otero-Cruz reiterated to Newsweek that “major sporting events do not cause domestic violence," adding that it's "all about power and control."
"But major sporting events can escalate tension and trigger violence in relationships where abuse is already an issue,” she said.
Bardswich shared a similar sentiment, telling Newsweek that major sporting events are not to blame: “Abusers are always solely responsible for the violence they perpetrate.”
But major sporting events can “create conditions that exacerbate violence, such as alcohol-fueled environments, large crowds, and heightened emotions.”
Hubert echoed this. “The influx of visitors—many of them men gathering in highly masculinized sport environments—may create conditions that facilitate other forms of gender-based violence.”
She added: “Hosting major events can heighten emotions, increase alcohol and substance use, and disrupt daily routines through changes in mobility and work arrangements. These pressures can add stress to households and, in some cases, contribute to violence in the home.”
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Many experts point to alcohol as a risk factor for domestic violence. Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, multiple U.S. states extended bar hours and loosened alcohol restrictions.
Asked if these changes could pose a risk, Goshawk told Newsweek, “Alcohol can exacerbate abuse and create the conditions for abuse to take place. Knowing that there's more access to alcohol, longer licensing laws, etc., does present a risk factor.”
When asked if the scale of this year’s tournament could also pose a risk factor for a rise in domestic violence, Goshawk added: “I think recognizing that there are now 48 countries who will be watching intently as their countries compete, there's a concern that some of the impacts we see in England are going to be replicated across a wider range of countries across the globe.”
Looking Ahead
As organizations look to support those who may be impacted by domestic violence, visibility and the sharing of resources are key. Multiple charities across the globe have launched campaigns to raise awareness.
“It’s really a time where you should be looking at how you can support those around you who you think might be in fear,” Goshawk told Newsweek.
But experts also point to the broader need for key systemic changes.
“Major events like the World Cup highlight the need for deeper, sustained investments in proven interventions, including emergency shelter, hotlines, legal services, housing support, and prevention programming,” Otero-Cruz told Newsweek. “It's so important that communities invest not only in crisis services like hotlines and shelters, but also in prevention efforts that help stop violence before it starts.”
Hubert told Newsweek that a proactive approach remains missing.
“Authorities should focus on bringing information, reporting mechanisms, protection measures, and support services closer to women who may be at risk, rather than waiting for violence to occur before responding. This also requires paying special attention to areas where risks are known to be higher, including entertainment districts, hotels associated with sex work,” she said. “The goal should be to identify and address violence before it escalates.”
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
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