The FIFA World Cup is often presented as a celebration of excellence. It brings together the world’s best athletes, mobilizes billions of viewers, and claims to leave lasting social legacies wherever it goes. Yet one of the most promising legacies of recent tournaments appears to have been quietly abandoned in 2026: the effort to make major sporting events contribute to healthier food environments.
Four years ago, during the Qatar World Cup, FIFA partnered with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health to launch the initiative, “Healthy FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.” For the first time, a World Cup sought not only to entertain fans but also to improve the nutritional quality of food offered inside stadiums.
The initiative was far from perfect, but it represented genuine progress. More than 30% of concession items met nutritional criteria established by WHO. Healthier meals were promoted through pricing incentives, menu design, visibility campaigns, and public awareness efforts. The experience became the basis for a WHO guide on healthier food environments at sports events, published in 2023.
The message seemed clear: the world’s largest sporting event should not be disconnected from the world’s largest public health challenges. Yet, as fans enter stadiums across North America for the 2026 World Cup, much of that progress appears to have vanished.
Food offerings in host venues are dominated by industrial beer, sugary soft drinks, hot dogs, burgers, fries, nuggets, and other ultra-processed products. Fresh fruits, vegetables, salads, and minimally processed alternatives are largely absent. In many cases, spectators are prohibited from bringing their own food into the stadium, effectively eliminating meaningful choice.
This is not simply a matter of personal responsibility. It is a question of how institutions shape food environments.
Research from around the world increasingly shows that obesity and diet-related diseases are influenced not only by individual behavior but also by the environments in which choices are made. When healthier options are unavailable, invisible, or more expensive, unhealthy consumption patterns become the default.
World Cup stadiums are a perfect example of this dynamic. Tens of thousands of people are concentrated in a controlled environment where organizers determine what is sold, what is advertised, and what incentives guide consumption. These are precisely the conditions under which public health interventions can make a difference.
The irony is that FIFA already knows this.
The Qatar experience demonstrated that healthier alternatives can be introduced without compromising fan experience or commercial viability. WHO documented practical measures ranging from recipe reformulation and healthier menu design to restrictions on marketing foods high in sugar, salt, and saturated fat.
The problem is not a lack of evidence. It is a lack of commitment. The contrast with FIFA’s public discourse is difficult to ignore.
During the 2026 World Cup, considerable attention has been devoted to symbolic political gestures. FIFA President Gianni Infantino publicly praised U.S. President Donald Trump as a “man of peace,” reinforcing the image of FIFA as an institution engaged with diplomacy, leadership, and global causes.
There is nothing wrong with celebrating peace. The problem arises when symbolic diplomacy overshadows concrete commitments that can improve people’s lives.
Few initiatives could be more tangible than protecting the health of millions of fans attending the world’s largest sporting event. Yet while FIFA embraced the language of peace and global leadership, it quietly abandoned one of the most successful health legacies it had ever helped create.
The timing is revealing. The United States, host of most World Cup matches, formally withdrew from the World Health Organization in 2026, reflecting a broader skepticism toward multilateral institutions and internationally agreed standards. Whether intentional or not, the disappearance of the Qatar health model sends an unfortunate message: global cooperation is welcome when it generates political visibility, but becomes expendable when it requires practical implementation.
This retreat comes at a particularly troubling moment. Obesity is one of the fastest-growing public health challenges of the twenty-first century. Countries across the world increasingly face a double burden of malnutrition, where obesity and undernutrition coexist within the same societies and even the same households.
Football is more than entertainment. It is culture, identity, and influence. The products promoted through football sponsorships and stadium concessions help shape social norms far beyond ninety minutes of play.
Related Articles
Here is a list of articles selected by our Editorial Board that have gained significant interest from the public:
No one is suggesting that stadiums should ban burgers or eliminate beer. The issue is balance, transparency, and choice. Fans should have access to healthier alternatives. Drinking water should be affordable and widely available. Nutritional information should be visible. Marketing practices should be consistent with public health objectives, particularly in environments where children are present.
These are modest expectations. In fact, they are less ambitious than the commitments already adopted during the Qatar World Cup.
The question is therefore not whether healthier food environments are possible. FIFA and WHO already demonstrated that they are. The real question is why those lessons were not carried forward.
Mega sporting events leave legacies long after the final whistle. Some are measured in infrastructure, others in economic returns. But the most enduring legacies are often cultural. They shape how societies think, behave, and aspire.
The World Cup reaches billions of people. Few institutions possess comparable power to influence social norms.
At a time when obesity is becoming one of the world’s defining health crises, using that influence responsibly should not be optional. The legacy of Qatar showed a path forward. The 2026 World Cup suggests that path is being forgotten.
That would be a loss not only for public health, but for football itself.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — In the Cover Photo: 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage match between Belgium and Egypt, Seattle, Washington, United States, June 15, 2026. Cover Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
