ZÜRICH, 28th July, 2026 (WAM) — FIFA has successfully completed a thorough and global-scale anti-doping testing programme at the FIFA World Cup 2026™, with a total of 1,933 anti-doping tests carried out before and throughout the competition.
Particular emphasis was placed on the pre‑tournament period, with an extensive out‑of‑competition testing programme during the six months preceding the competition. In this period, 1,250 anti-doping tests were carried out by FIFA’s Testing Authority, in close partnership with 14 National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) and confederations across the globe.
All of FIFA’s anti-doping activities were conducted under the framework for the FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations and the World Anti-Doping Code. This approach reflects FIFA’s unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of the competition by ensuring robust testing long before the opening match.
During FIFA’s flagship men’s tournament, FIFA carried out 416 in‑competition tests following matches, alongside a further 267 out‑of‑competition tests, bringing the total number of anti‑doping tests to 1,933.
Following FIFA’s testing strategy, there was a significant amount of blood samples collected both during the pre-tournament and in-tournament phase. During the pre-tournament phase, more than 1,000 blood samples were collected alongside the 1,250 urine samples. During the tournament, 237 blood samples were collected alongside the 683 urine samples, bringing the total number of samples collected to more than 3,100.
All samples collected were reviewed by the Athlete Passport Management unit, composed of independent experts, to detect potential deviations that may indicate 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.”
As in previous years, FIFA will release a report with more detailed information during the course of the year.
Source: Emirates News Agency