Drug-Free World Scores with Soccer World Cup Campaign

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The Foundation for a Drug-Free World (DFW) brought its drug-prevention message to the largest audience in its history during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As millions of fans gathered in stadiums and city centers across the United States, Canada and Mexico, Drug-Free World carried out a continent-wide distribution campaign to bring the truth about drugs directly to the public on an unprecedented scale.

The opportunity was extraordinary: this year’s World Cup was the largest in FIFA history, with 48 national teams playing 104 matches.

In the 16 World Cup host cities including Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, Guadalajara and Mexico City, Drug-Free World volunteers placed Truth About Drugs booklets directly into the hands of fans and community groups, while also stocking shops and restaurants where the public could pick them up. With recent research showing that fentanyl is still a critical problem in most cities, DFW teams distributed a large quantity of The Truth About Fentanyl booklets wherever they went.

The campaign opened in Mexico City, where volunteers reached fans celebrating the host nation’s opening win at the Angel of Independence. The response set the tone for what followed. Teachers asked for booklets for their classrooms and members of recovery groups requested copies to share.

A similar pattern then rolled out in the other host cities across the Americas. By the end of the World Cup tournament, more than 1,500 Drug-Free World volunteers had distributed several million booklets at stadiums, fan zones, shops, schools, churches and community events in major cities including Vancouver, Toronto, New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Mexico City.

In New York, DFW volunteers marched in the Puerto Rican Day Parade and placed more than 21,000 booklets in shops near the Org. One parade-goer, on probation and wearing an ankle monitor, asked to help the team and kept returning for more booklets to hand out himself.

In Toronto, the DFW team covered Queen Street, King Street and the connecting blocks, placing more than 32,000 booklets in shops and restaurants. Police officers stopped to read the materials and one recommended that the team contact his staff sergeant directly about bringing the program to the unit.

In Downtown Los Angeles, more than 40 DFW volunteers distributed nearly 20,000 booklets at the fan zone, where thousands gather to watch the games.

And in Inglewood, a man came into the Ideal Org after receiving a The Truth About Fentanyl booklet, asking to learn more about the campaign. He shared that he had lost all three of his sons to fentanyl overdoses and wanted to help prevent other families from suffering the same tragedy. The next day, he joined a Drug-Free World distribution near SoFi Stadium. As he handed out booklets, he said he was grateful for the chance to finally do something positive to help others. He then picked up additional booklets to distribute in his neighborhood. Afterward, he was invited for a Dianetics session and decided to join Inglewood staff.

With every booklet placed in someone’s hands during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the campaign carried its message further: that drug education can reach people before drugs do.