Sports fever! Getting the ball rolling to prevent infections at the World Cup™ and beyond

Abstract Sporting events are opportunities for athletes to shine and fans to celebrate. Mass gatherings, including mega sporting events, are linked to substantial communicable disease transmission and requires multi modal, complex preparation and trained response teams. The 2026 FIFA World Cup™ tournament will span 48 teams in three different host countries. This expert commentary aims to review frequently implicated infections and high consequence pathogens; review preparedness strategies for healthcare personnel(HCP), infection prevention and control(IPC) teams, emergency department(ED) and disaster preparedness teams; and emphasize the need for closed loop communication and use of technology. The authors hope this commentary is practically used as a reference for clinicians and public health entities in host cities but also a blueprint for considerations in future sporting events—which are projected to increase.