The FIFA World Cup 26™ will be the largest tournament in the event’s history, bringing together 48 teams and millions of fans across three countries and 16 Host Cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States. As preparations continue, 9 August – International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples – offers a meaningful opportunity to reflect on how the tournament is being shaped in collaboration with Indigenous Peoples across all three host countries.   

Building on the legacy of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™, which showcased the power of major tournaments to drive positive change for Indigenous partners, the FIFA World Cup 26™ Sustainability & Human Rights Strategy commits to engaging, recognising, protecting and promoting the human rights of Indigenous Peoples through the tournament in collaboration with Host Cities.

In addition to FIFA’s engagement with Indigenous Peoples and world-renowned experts through the FWC26 Human Rights Advisory Board, FIFA World Cup 26 is proud to highlight some of the Indigenous engagement initiatives and collaborations led by the Host City Committees. These, and other efforts, will celebrate Indigenous cultures and help strengthen partnerships that extend well beyond 2026.

Highlights of some of the initiatives between Host Committees and Indigenous Peoples are outlined below:

Matches in Toronto will take place on the traditional territories of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat Peoples. In the Host City of Toronto, FIFA World Cup 26™ Toronto advisory bodies include Indigenous representation that guides the development of operational and legacy plans for the event. These initiatives are the result of active collaboration and a shared commitment to ensuring that Indigenous voices are included in Canada’s FIFA World Cup 26 experience. 

Matches in Vancouver, Canada will take place on the traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation). In Vancouver, early initiatives include the meaningful integration of Indigenous elements into Vancouver’s Host City Poster, and the creation of a sonic ID, Vancouver’s official and unique sound signature for FIFA World Cup 26.  Indigenous engagement efforts in Toronto and Vancouver reflect Canada’s broader vision: to deliver a world-class event that honours Indigenous culture, advances reconciliation and creates lasting benefits for Indigenous Peoples across Canada. 

The Guadalajara Metropolitan Area is now an urban home to nearly all of the country's 68 officially recognised Indigenous Peoples. This makes the region a vibrant territory where languages, customs, and diverse forms of social organisation coexist.  Host City Guadalajara is building on existing efforts and initiating new measures to support Indigenous inclusion in the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup™. Dedicated working groups and round tables have been established to ensure that Indigenous Peoples can articulate their concerns, share proposals, and express their expectations regarding Mexico’s role as a host country. Authorities are also planning to translate key FIFA World Cup information—on rights, safety, protocols, and public awareness campaigns—into Indigenous languages. In addition, local governments across the metropolitan area intend to implement citizen service protocols with an intercultural and intersectional perspective, particularly in areas such as healthcare, emergency services, housing, and justice. Plans are also underway to create community cultural spaces where Indigenous Peoples can showcase their art, cuisine, traditional sports, and cultural heritage. 

The Puyallup Tribe of Indians is the Seattle Host City’s Presenting Legacy Sponsor, marking the first time an Indigenous Sovereign Nation has been an Official Supporter of a FIFA World Cup Host City. When hundreds of thousands of visitors and billions of viewers have their eyes and ears on Seattle for FIFA World Cup 26, the Puyallup Tribe wants the world to see and hear how Coast Salish culture, language, and stories not only tell the Seattle region’s history, but guide its future.   The Puyallup Tribe and the Seattle Host Committee are forging a meaningful legacy together, showcasing the Coast Salish Peoples’ Annual Canoe Journey in promotional material for next year’s tournament, installing soccer mini-pitches at the Tribe’s Chief Leschi School, and leveraging the global spotlight of the FIFA World Cup to highlight Puyallup Tribal Enterprises.