World Cup 2026: Why LGBTQ fan groups are not attending matches in the United States
There’s a notable absence from this summer’s FIFA men’s World Cup that you might have missed.
England's official LGBTQ supporters' group, Three Lions Pride (3LP) announced in January that they would not have a visible presence at the tournament.
3LP, which has around 350 members and regularly attends matches, said in a statement that the "dangerous rollback of human rights" in the United States has caused significant concern for fans who were planning to attend the tournament.
The group said that they no longer believed the tournament would be a safe and inclusive environment.
"We very loudly raised our concerns about both Russia and Qatar as hosts, and it would be irresponsible of us to not raise our voices as loudly about the 2026 host," 3LP said.
"As ever, our primary concern is about the safety of our members and queer fans worldwide under the principle that fans should be able to follow their team wherever they play without fear of abuse, violence, or arrest just for their existence."
Here, Sky Sports News covers:
Why are LBGTQ fan groups not attending games in the United States?
What changes made by President Donald Trump's administration have affected LGBTQ inclusion in the United States?
What has FIFA said about safety for LGBTQ fans, and will there be any improvements from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar?
Three Lions Pride said that they will continue to support LGBTQ England fans heading to the tournament but emphasised their concern, in particular for transgender fans who they say would be at a high risk of violence and discrimination.
United States President Donald Trump's administration put executive orders into place in 2025 targeting transgender people, including federal restrictions on language, pronouns, healthcare, access to facilities such as bathrooms, military service, sports bans and identification requirements.
Since 3LP's decision, other supporter groups have followed suit, and organisations such as Human Rights Watch have called on FIFA to do more to keep LGBTQ fans safe in the United States.
Minky Worden, director of global initiatives for Human Rights Watch, explained in an interview with Sky Sports News that the political climate in the US and FIFA's organisation has made the event inaccessible to LGBTQ fans.
"It's important for fans to know, if they are coming to the World Cup, they are going to have to protect themselves and not rely on FIFA to uphold their basic rights," Worden said.
"This is the largest World Cup ever, the most lucrative for FIFA, and they certainly have the money to put in the protections if they want to.
"There are a lot of dangers, including that journalists, fans, players, and officials will have to travel across borders.
"We've already identified that the [US] border is where you can have trouble [entering the country], maybe based on your social media posts advancing LGBTQ rights.
"I think it's dangerous that this is the first World Cup to include human rights criteria and a human rights framework, and yet those protections aren't visible, and they aren't named for LGBTQ people."
When the United States, Canada and Mexico were announced as hosts for the 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup, it was initially seen as a refreshing break for the LGBTQ community.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has widely marketed the 2026 edition as the "biggest and most inclusive" World Cup to date.
However, as the tournament draws closer, more concerns continue to be raised about the safety of LGBTQ fans wishing to travel to the United States.
German group Queer Football Fanclub (QFF), which represents a network of LGBTQ fan groups primarily in Germany, supported 3LP's decision not to attend the tournament and said they would do the same.
Sven Kistner, QFF spokesperson, told Sky Sports News: "We will not have an official QFF presence at the World Cup in the US.
"The Trump administration is putting more and more pressure on minorities and LGBTQI+ people […] and that makes it difficult to say 'yes, we are willing to go there and willing to attend the games.'"
Kistner emphasised that it was policies and statements made by Trump's administration that caused QFF to pull out of attending, not the culture in the United States.
"I think that the American people are generally quite open to our concerns and to living as you want to live, however the Trump administration is doing quite the opposite at the moment.
"It's not about the American people, because all the people from the US I am talking to are really great people, nice people.
"I just hope that the situation changes for the people in the US, and especially for all the minorities in the US, not only LGBTQ, but other minorities as well."
In the years that have followed since the 2026 host announcement, the US has seen a large number of rollbacks on inclusive laws and access to safe spaces for transgender people under Trump's administration.
As of May 29, 2026, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was tracking 530 anti-LGBTQ bills in the US.
In the host states for World Cup games, the ACLU is tracking 110 anti-LGBTQ bills in state government, with 39 in Missouri alone.
Following an executive order from Trump in 2025, the US State Department finalised rules in March 2026 requiring visa applicants to list their sex assigned at birth on the application, meaning transgender fans wishing to travel to the US risk facing barrier to entry through denied applications.
This means any person who has changed their gender marker on their passport as a part of their transition, risks being denied a visa if the sex they were assigned with at birth differs from the gender listed on their passport.
If discrepancies are found between a person's passport and their application, it could be deemed fraudulent, possibly leading to entry refusal, detention and permanent bans from the United States.
"This is a clear violation of LGBTQ rights, and there are no options to get around this," Worden explained.
"Even if they somehow manage to get a visa to the United States at the border, they would have to say that they are their deadname in order to come in.
"This is an example of a new rule that is exclusive to the Trump administration."
Deadname refers to the birth name (or former name) of a transgender or non-binary person who has chosen a new, affirmed name. The term can be used as a noun (the name itself) or a verb (the act of calling someone by that name).
In Mexico, which will host 13 games across three cities, discrimination based on sexual orientation is prohibited under the federal constitution, however, violence against LGBTQ+ individuals remains a significant issue in some regions.
In recent friendlies ahead of the tournament, a homophobic chant used by fans in Mexico resurfaced, drawing concern about its use at the 2026 World Cup.
Canada, host of 13 games across two cities, has the most inclusive LGBTQ rights and cultural acceptance of the three countries, with federal legal protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.
While this is a three-nation host tournament, the bulk of the games are in the USA, and Human Rights Watch released a reporters' guide ahead of the tournament, outlining what they referred to as a "climate of fear" in the United States.
The report outlined that the LGBTQ community continues to be the target of abusive policies in the country.
The report includes the current political administration's executive actions prohibiting government use of the term gender, restricting and withdrawing support for gender-affirming care for youth, and rollbacks on protections for transgender students.
In addition, 19 states currently restrict classroom discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity and less than half of US states prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
World Cup host states Florida and Texas are two of the most restrictive. In 2022, Florida signed into law the widely dubbed "Don't Say Gay" and "Don't Say They" bill.
While this bill affects education on sexual identity, it also includes restrictions on using pronouns consistent with gender identity.
The United States often has different legislation state by state, meaning some states like California, which will host eight matches in Los Angeles, remains one of the most inclusive for LGBTQ people.
California has a number of laws that protect transgender, gender diverse, and intersex individuals in various settings, including at school, in employment, and in access to health care.
New York and New Jersey, which will host several matches including the World Cup final, are also among the most protective states for LGBTQ rights with robust anti-discrimination laws.
Following criticism from Russia and Qatar, and a rise of abuse from fans around the world, FIFA introduced a zero-tolerance anti-discrimination framework in 2024.
This includes a procedure to halt matches during homophobic chants, monitor fan behaviour and social media, and work with partners to promote inclusivity. Critics however have questioned the inconsistent enforcement of the framework.
The 2025 Club World Cup, also hosted in the United States, was widely seen as a trial run for the 2026 tournament.
Prior to the Club World Cup, FIFA had announced a number of anti-discrimination and anti-racism activations for the event.
In June 2025, The Athletic reported that FIFA would be shelving these activations, removing signs planned for stadiums and video and social media campaigns. FIFA eventually reintroduced some anti-racism messaging, following criticism.
FIFA has said it has plans to reinstate some of the messaging for the 2026 World Cup, including the "No Racism" campaign and "Unite for Peace" initiatives.
"FIFA's position is clear, everyone is welcome and football must remain a space where all people feel safe, respected and included," a FIFA spokesperson explained to Sky Sports News when asked about what measures would be put in place t
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