The BBC will pay up to £750 for each staff member who is going to this summer’s World Cup to undertake ‘riot training.’ This summer’s competition in the United States of America, Mexico and Canada begins on June 11 and finishes with the World Cup final on July 29.
Nevertheless, the tournament will unfold against a backdrop of turbulent political circumstances, especially in the USA and Mexico. This week has witnessed ‘May Day’ anti-President Donald Trump demonstrations throughout the States, while numerous Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations during 2026 have likewise proved controversial.
Widespread violence erupted in Mexico earlier this year following the death of drug cartel kingpin Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, who was more commonly known as ‘El Mencho,’ during a security mission. As a result, the BBC are spending thousands to guarantee their personnel on location will be equipped for any conceivable situations.
According to The Telegraph, the BBC have mandated that employees travelling across the Atlantic for the tournament must complete a compulsory ‘public order’ course and ‘riot training’.
It’s believed the training could even involve employees being doused with artificial blood, as different scenarios are simulated. The bill is expected to run into the tens of thousands.
ITV, who will also be broadcasting World Cup fixtures, are also understood to be sending their own staff members on a comparable course.
These training sessions were similarly arranged for BBC staff ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. It currently remains unclear whether such courses were put in place for staff covering the 2014 competition in Brazil, the 2018 tournament in Russia, or the most recent games held in Qatar in 2022.
The political landscapes of all nations participating in this summer’s competition have dominated the build-up to the first-ever 48-nation tournament. Amnesty International, alongside numerous other US civil and human rights organisations, recently published a ‘World Cup’ travel advisory for supporters and journalists planning to attend the event.
Amnesty International stated they released the substantial document “in light of the deteriorating human rights situation in the United States and in the absence of meaningful action and concrete guarantees from FIFA, host cities, or the U.S. government.”
They also highlighted the sweeping immigration detention raids across Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis, which descended into violent confrontations between the public and enforcement officers.
Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, pushed back against the warnings, arguing that many of the concerns raised had been greatly exaggerated, stating: “The notion that visiting America poses a meaningful safety risk is not a good-faith warning, it’s a political tactic designed to cause economic harm.”
FIFA also responded by saying: “FIFA is committed to respecting all internationally recognised human rights and shall strive to promote the protection of these rights.”