Deaths and clashes induced by rivalry among fans during FIFA World Cup 2022 in Bangladesh.

Abstract

Background: International sports events like the Football World Cup affect the collective emotions of the global community. Usually, major sports events like the Football World Cup show beneficial effects on the community. However, many unwanted consequences such as accidents, premature deaths and violent supporter rivalries have been noticed during it. We aimed to report preventable premature deaths and clashes induced by rivalry among fans during the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Bangladesh.

Methods: We monitored local newspaper reports for data collection during the World Cup 2022 event and collected data for age, sex, the possible cause of death, and precipitating events related to the event.

Results: We found 23 World Cup Football-related deaths, 35 hospitalizations, and 45 injuries related to clashes between the rival fans of Argentina and Brazil. The median age of deceased was 20 years. The majority of the deaths happened in young males due to fall while hoisting flags. Deaths in the late age happened due to sudden emotional upsurge during the game day. And, clashes between rival fans mostly happened due to social bullying favoring and disfavoring a team.

Conclusions: This report indicates an important area of potentially preventable death related to World Cup Football and warrants public health attention even in a non-participating country, both locally and internationally.