FIFA carried out 1,933 anti-doping tests across the build-up and duration of the FIFA World Cup 2026, making it one of the most extensive testing programmes the organisation has run at a men’s World Cup.
The bulk of the testing happened before a ball was kicked. During the six months preceding the tournament, FIFA and its testing authority conducted 1,250 out-of-competition tests in partnership with 14 National Anti-Doping Organisations and confederations around the world. That pre-tournament phase also saw more than 1,000 blood samples collected alongside the urine tests.
Once the tournament began, FIFA added 416 in-competition tests following matches and a further 267 out-of-competition tests. During the tournament phase alone, 237 blood samples were collected alongside 683 urine samples. Across both phases, total samples collected exceeded 3,100.
All samples were reviewed by FIFA’s Athlete Passport Management unit, an independent panel of experts tasked with identifying deviations that may point to the use of performance-enhancing drugs or methods.
Carlos Lopez, FIFA’s Senior Anti-Doping Manager, said: “The FIFA World Cup represents the highest level of our sport, and protecting clean competition remains central to FIFA’s anti-doping mission.”
FIFA said a full report with more detailed findings would be published later in the year. The programme was conducted under the FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations and the World Anti-Doping Code.
