A zombie claim is a belief that has been repeatedly disproven yet keeps resurfacing.
The zombie claim that large sporting events lead to an increase in human trafficking for sexual exploitation originated ahead of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games—the first major sporting event after the adoption of the UN Trafficking Protocol. This zombie claim continues to resurface, most recently at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Despite substantial evidence proving otherwise, the claim spreads easily through the media, encompassing an ever-expanding variety of major events.
With a year to go before the FIFA matches in Vancouver and Toronto, 2025 will undoubtedly see an escalation of the familiar moral panic surrounding ‘sex trafficking.’
Many anti-trafficking stakeholders across Canada will undoubtedly try to justify the resources allocated to anti-trafficking enforcement and campaigns by upholding the narrative that human trafficking is pervasive, always present, and poses a risk to everyone.
However, this zombie claim persists because it aligns with certain ideologies and promotes specific agendas, like the eradication of the sex industry. This is unconscionably violent; one cannot eradicate sex work without eradicating sex workers.
In the field of anti-trafficking, misleading claims often support ineffective actions, such as the ‘sex trafficking’ awareness campaigns during major sporting events, even when there is little evidence of their effectiveness. Research by NGOs, including GAATW Canada, academics, and international organizations, has not found any significant increase in trafficking or even any increased demand for sex work connected to large sporting events.
Faced with this overwhelming criticism, some promoters of this zombie claim are now voicing concerns about the exploitation of migrant labourers involved in constructing sports venues. However, we should not rely on an isolated instance of FIFA 2026 and alleged trafficking to confront the everyday abuses and exploitation that migrant workers face in Canada. Unfortunately, the Canadian government introduced new policies in 2024 that will lead to increased labour exploitation, fostering conditions that are conducive to human trafficking. Amid these harmful policy changes, it becomes even more critical to challenge misleading narratives and focus on addressing the real drivers of exploitation and human trafficking.
Zombie claims do not bite, but they are endlessly frustrating. In 2025, let’s work together to debunk the FIFA 2026 trafficking zombie claim every time it resurfaces.