Activists Warn 2026 World Cup Will Fuel Child Sexual Exploitation in Mexico

Mexico City — With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching, feminist organizations are sounding the alarm over what they describe as an imminent surge in child sexual exploitation and human trafficking linked to the tournament.

The National Feminist Alliances Network held its Third Abolitionist Conference, titled “The World Cup: A Passport to Prostitution and Trafficking,” where experts and activists warned that the mass sporting event will dramatically increase demand for prostitution and sex trafficking, putting children and adolescents at greatest risk.

“Mexico ranks first in the production, distribution, and sale of sexual abuse material involving minors,” said Joana de la Cruz Domínguez, who opened the forum. She warned that during the World Cup, the trade in women and minors becomes one of the most sought-after services by men visiting the country.

The panel, moderated by Verónica Palafox, featured three specialists who analyzed trafficking and exploitation dynamics from an abolitionist perspective.

Demand-Side Focus Urged

Colombian human rights defender Claudia Quintero emphasized the disproportionate scale of violence against minors in these contexts. While adult exploitation is massive, she said, the sexual exploitation imposed on children is “insane.”

Quintero noted that major sporting events attract predominantly male visitors, exponentially increasing demand for prostitution and trafficking. Trafficking networks strategically prepare for high-profit periods during the tournament.

She called on society and governments to shift focus: stop criminalizing victims and instead target and punish the consumers — the “puteros” — who generate demand.

Sex Tourism Disguised as Fandom

Sociologist and researcher Daniela Cerva explored the deep connection between hegemonic masculinity, soccer, and the commodification of bodies. Many men attending the tournament openly see themselves as “sex tourists,” she said.

Cerva explained that human trafficking spikes dramatically during World Cups because the local supply of women and minors in prostitution cannot meet the overwhelming demand from attendees. Soccer, as a space for male socialization, often reinforces hypersexuality and power dynamics where women and children are viewed as objects of consumption.

Government Inaction and Pornography’s Role

Women’s rights advocate Mónica Soto Elizaga denounced the lack of decisive action by the Mexican state to prevent the looming crisis. She revealed that the abolitionist movement sent a letter to the presidency and the Mexico City government warning that the World Cup would generate enormous demand for young people and minors to satisfy predatory sex tourists.

The letter requested extraordinary protection measures and questioned the budget allocated to combat the crime, but official responses have been insufficient or limited to informational pamphlets, Soto said.

She stressed that pornography plays a key role as a trigger and “catalog” for this global business, noting that consumption is reaching children as young as eight and normalizing sexual violence.

The conference concluded with a unanimous call for feminist movement unity to combat what they called a culture of state pretense. The specialists demanded real public policies aligned with international human rights treaties, insisting that no society should tolerate sacrificing its children for the entertainment or exploitation of others.