FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during the match schedule reveal for the 2026 soccer World Cup in Washington, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025.
Fans cancel tickets, FIFA calls emergency meeting over World Cup backlash
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Overnight, about 16,800 fans cancelled their FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets, fueling global boycott calls.
- FIFA schedules emergency meeting next week to address mounting protests and backlash related to safety and political concerns.
Calls to boycott FIFA World Cup 2026 have intensified, with reports that around 16,800 people cancelled their tickets overnight. The surge in cancellations has amplified pressure on the football governing body as fans cite safety fears, political protests, and wider human rights concerns linked to the host country’s policies.
In response to the growing backlash, FIFA has scheduled an emergency meeting next week to discuss the situation. The agenda is expected to focus on ticket cancellations, fan safety worries, and reputational issues as tensions mount ahead of the tournament set to run from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Surge in ticket cancellations
The cancellation wave, widely shared on social media, reflects a shift in fan sentiment around the tournament. Overseas supporters, particularly from Europe, South America, and Africa, have told ticketing forums and travel agents they are backing out over what they describe as safety concerns and discomfort with the political climate in the United States. This shift has reportedly also slowed hotel bookings in host cities and pushed ticket resale prices down.
Emergency meeting details
FIFA’s emergency meeting is set to bring together senior officials, member association representatives, and tournament organizers. While the body has not issued an official agenda, insiders say discussions will centre on strategies to address fan anxiety, declining ticket commitments, and broader criticism of the World Cup’s hosting environment. Some observers expect the meeting to consider adjustments to fan engagement, communications, or even security measures to reassure supporters.
The "#BoycottWorldCup" hashtag
Social media platforms have become a major battleground for the boycott movement. Users are sharing cancellations, tweets thanking others for dropping their plans, and posts under the hashtag #BoycottWorldCup to sustain momentum. Engagement has surged as fans embed messages expressing disillusionment with the tournament’s direction and call on others to reconsider attending.
Cancel your World Cup tickets, cancel your travel plans to the US. Embargo the fuck out of us. Sanction our athletes, our businesses. Do whatever you gotta do, world.
— Medic Kim (@medickimw) January 7, 2026
How can the US still be expected to host events like the Olympics and World Cup when trump continues to be the biggest threat to world peace???
— Covie (@covie_93) January 7, 2026AMERICA IS NOT FIT TO HOST THE WORLD CUP!
— Michael de Villiers (@Mikedotcoza) January 8, 2026World, Please Listen Up
— WTFGOP (@doggintrump) January 7, 2026
I am an American Citizen & until the trump regime is gone here in the U.S.
Cancel your World Cup tickets
Cancel your Olympic Tickets
Cancel your travel plans here
Don't do business with companies here
Do whatever you have to do to protect yourselves
