The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off June 11 in Mexico City, but beyond the games, a growing network of scholars, activists, and journalists is tracking the tournament's real-world impacts.

World Cup Watch is a collective dedicated to documenting how mega-events like the World Cup affect host cities and communities. Their work covers displacement, over-policing, environmental harm, gentrification, and worker exploitation in host countries Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

Their platform offers direct access to:

• Expert analysis – in-depth research, essays, and interviews from academics and community organizers
• Visual and data resources – maps, photography, data visualizations, and multimedia projects documenting on-the-ground impacts
• Community voices – firsthand accounts from workers and residents affected by World Cup preparations

The coordinating committee includes Carolyn Prouse, a professor in the Department of Geography and Planning at Queen’s, who brings extensive research experience studying sport mega-events in South Africa and Brazil, with a focus on racialized violence, land dispossession, and surveillance technologies. She is now applying that expertise to the North American context with colleagues from universities including York, Toronto, Fordham, Universidad Iberoamericana, and more.

Further information and articles are available at World Cup Watch. 

Media Contact

Andrew Carroll | Media Relations Officer | 613-876-8059

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mediarelations@queensu.ca