When Sport Turns to Moral Panic: Trafficking Rhetoric at Major Events

There’s a familiar narrative that follows mega sporting events in the U.S.—that they spark an inevitable rise in human trafficking, especially the ever salacious sex trafficking. The Super Bowl is the most common example: reports of thousands of underage sex workers flood headlines, but the evidence doesn’t back that up. While adult-oriented online ads may tick up modestly, rigorous studies consistently debunk the notion of dramatic spikes in actual trafficking during such events.

With the 2026 FIFA World Cup coming to North America, it’s already shaping up to be the “new” Super Bowl for trafficking rhetoric—complete with recycled myths, inflated statistics, and the same cast of anti-trafficking organizations eager to cash in on the global spotlight.