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June 2026 — North America will host a record 48 international teams for the 2026 World Cup, projected to attract a global audience of 6 billion. It’s a rare example of a shared cultural experience, one that transcends borders, race, language, and culture. It’s an event that for most people provides a momentary escape from the challenges of life, but for more than 50 million people trapped in modern slavery, there is no escape. Yet, there is hope, as champions for justice are committed to their rescue.
From June 11-July 19, 2026, 48 professional football teams will play 104 World Cup matches in 16 cities in the US, Mexico, and Canada. More than 5.5 million stadium tickets are available for these events. Now imagine every sold-out stadium filled with cheering fans and multiply that times 10. It is estimated that more than 50 million people are victims of human trafficking at this very moment. International Justice Mission (IJM) breaks down trafficking activity into four main categories: labor trafficking, online sexual exploitation of children, sex trafficking, and forced scamming.
While teams play in the spotlight, too many people suffer in the shadows, confined against their will, toiling in unsafe and horrifying conditions with little to no pay, medical care, food, water or hope. This is the heartbreaking reality of modern trafficking, happening right now in factories, farms, brothels and private residences, all around the world. 1 in 4 of those in captivity are children, denied the freedom to play that so many people take for granted, especially those cheering on their football heroes or dreaming of playing one day.
Less than a month before the kickoff World Cup match in Mexico City, half a world away, local authorities in South Asia rescued 518 people from bonded labor at brick kilns in South Asia. More than 200 of those rescued were children, 10 were newborns less than a month old. Instead of kicking goals on lush green fields with their friends, these children worked in the blistering sun, rotating bricks to dry evenly.
A World United, A Proven Solution
With three host countries and more teams participating than ever before, World Cup 2026 is an ambitious enterprise. Pulling it off safely and seamlessly requires a lot of cooperation and coordination between local governments and private companies around the world. International Justice Mission takes a similar approach to resolving the issue of poverty, abuse, exploitation and enslavement. The underlying causes are systemic and centuries deep. Resolution comes in the form of step by step progress on four coordinated fronts: Strengthening Justice Systems, Bringing Criminals to Justice, Rescuing and Restoring Victims, and Scaling Demand for Protection.
IJM initiatives around the world are driven by a shared belief that transformation is possible. The end game for work in any given region is for that work to someday no longer be necessary. As justice systems serve survivors and hold criminals accountable, potential perpetrators realize they cannot abuse and exploit people without consequence—creating a powerful deterrent. Violence decreases dramatically, and people who are vulnerable are protected in places where violence was once common. When the justice system begins to function effectively on its own, IJM and our partners take on less and less casework, ensuring sustainable and lasting transformation.
The World Cup is the manifestation of teamwork at its very best. Day in and day out, IJM does the same thing to advance human freedom and safety, teaming up with local governments and organizations to fulfill our overall mission and manifest a world where all children can enjoy the Freedom to Play.
