Three Lions Pride to boycott 2026 World Cup over safety concerns

England’s official LGBTQ+ supporters’ group, Three Lions Pride, has confirmed it will not attend this summer’s FIFA World Cup in the United States, citing serious concerns around safety, human rights, and what it describes as FIFA’s “appalling decisions” regarding the tournament’s organisation.

In a strongly worded statement, the group said its hopes that the 2026 competition would offer a safe and inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ fans had been “well and truly shattered”. Although the men’s World Cup is set to be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, Three Lions Pride argues that a “dangerous rollback of human rights” in parts of the U.S. leaves its members - particularly those who are trans or gender non‑conforming - at heightened risk of discrimination and violence. 

Established ahead of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the group has grown to around 350 members and has been a visible presence at England matches for years. However, it now says it cannot guarantee the security of its supporters if they were to attend the tournament in an organised, public way. The group previously opted not to travel to Qatar in 2022 due to similar safety concerns, warning at the time that neither FIFA nor host nations had offered adequate assurances for LGBTQ+ fans.

England will play all three of their group‑stage fixtures in the United States - in Dallas, Boston and New York/New Jersey - with further matches in North America possible should the team progress. Despite the Pride House United 2026 initiative aiming to establish welcoming venues for LGBTQ+ supporters across the 16 host cities, Three Lions Pride maintains that conditions still fall short of what is needed to ensure fan welfare. 

The group’s decision adds to mounting criticism of FIFA from LGBTQ+ communities worldwide, who argue that the governing body has repeatedly prioritised commercial and political interests over the safety and inclusion of marginalised supporters.