A measure of Mexican fan safety perception, trust in deployed security, and celebration behavior during the 2026 World Cup. The party moved off the avenue and behind a door, and nearly half of street celebrants say they would not go back.
The 2026 Mexico World Cup Risk & Fan Experience Index is a study by Miss Investigate of 2,500 Mexican adults, measuring how fans experienced the safety dimension of the tournament. It covers perceived safety in street celebrations, trust in deployed security, changes in travel behavior, and preferences for future safety improvements. The security backdrop was large: Mexico deployed close to 100,000 personnel across its three host cities under an operation called Plan Kukulkan, according to reporting by CNN and the BBC. This study measures whether that show of force reached the people it was meant to reassure.
Mexico City, the site of reported fatalities, had the highest sense of danger. Sixty-two percent of fans who joined street celebrations felt unsafe. In Mexico City the figure reached 71%, the highest of any region, followed by Jalisco at 64% and Nuevo Leon at 58%. Other states averaged 55%. The capital hosted the opening match and the largest crowds, and it also produced the sharpest sense of risk.
Felt unsafe in street celebrations, by regionrated 1 or 2 of 5, n=2,500
Felt unsafe by region, The 2026 Mexico World Cup Risk & Fan Experience Index, Miss Investigate, n=2,500, 2026.
| Region | Felt unsafe |
|---|---|
| Mexico City | 71% |
| Jalisco | 64% |
| Nuevo Leon | 58% |
| Other states | 55% |
The capital that threw the biggest party is the one whose fans felt the least safe in it.
A clear majority rated street celebrations unsafe. On a five-point scale, 28% felt very unsafe and 34% unsafe, a combined 62%. Eighteen percent were neutral, and only 20% felt safe or very safe. Fifty-eight percent of respondents took part in street celebrations at all, so the unease is a verdict from people who were there, not bystanders.
Perceived safety during large street celebrationsshare at each rating, n=2,500
Perceived safety during street celebrations, The 2026 Mexico World Cup Risk & Fan Experience Index, Miss Investigate, n=2,500, 2026.
| Safety rating | Share |
|---|---|
| Very unsafe | 28% |
| Unsafe | 34% |
| Neutral | 18% |
| Safe | 12% |
| Very safe | 8% |
For most fans, the street party stopped feeling like a celebration and started feeling like a risk.
Official venues drew only a third, and most preferred indoor settings. Only 33% prefer an official fan zone or stadium. A combined 51% favor the relative safety of a bar or restaurant at 27% or a home gathering at 24%, with just 11% choosing informal street gatherings and 5% naming another setting. The safest-feeling options are the ones with walls and a door.
Preferred setting to watch or celebrate matchesshare choosing each, n=2,500
Preferred celebration setting, The 2026 Mexico World Cup Risk & Fan Experience Index, Miss Investigate, n=2,500, 2026.
| Preferred setting | Share |
|---|---|
| Official fan zone / stadium | 33% |
| Bar or restaurant | 27% |
| Home with family/friends | 24% |
| Informal street gathering | 11% |
| Other | 5% |
The celebration is migrating off the avenue and behind a door.
Women's concern outran men's by twelve points. Fifty-five percent of respondents are concerned or very concerned about violent crime spikes following major wins, rising to 61% among women against 49% among men. The same event, and the same crowd, register as a different level of threat depending on who is in it.
Concerned or very concerned about post-win crime spikes, by gendershare, n=2,500
Concern about post-win crime by gender, The 2026 Mexico World Cup Risk & Fan Experience Index, Miss Investigate, n=2,500, 2026.
| Gender | Concerned or very concerned |
|---|---|
| Women | 61% |
| Men | 49% |
The same celebration reads as a different level of danger depending on who is standing in the crowd.
Older fans were the quickest to reroute. Forty-four percent of respondents changed their travel behavior during the tournament, rising steadily from 36% among 18-to-24-year-olds to 51% among those 55 and over, a 15-point gap across the age range. Thirty-seven percent are avoiding specific highways or routes flagged in official advisories.
Changed travel behavior due to safety concerns, by ageshare, n=2,500
Changed travel behavior by age, The 2026 Mexico World Cup Risk & Fan Experience Index, Miss Investigate, n=2,500, 2026.
| Age group | Changed travel behavior |
|---|---|
| 18 to 24 | 36% |
| 25 to 34 | 42% |
| 35 to 44 | 46% |
| 45 to 54 | 49% |
| 55 and over | 51% |
The tournament rewired how a large share of Mexicans move around their own cities.
More visible police tops the wish list. Asked what would most improve their sense of safety, 29% chose more visible police and 26% capacity limits or crowd control, ahead of better medical stations at 22% and clearer safety alerts at 17%. Just 6% said none was needed. Awareness of the security response is thin: only 34% have heard of Plan Kukulkan, despite a deployment near 100,000 officers.
Would most improve sense of safety at future celebrationsshare choosing each, n=2,500
Most-wanted safety improvement, The 2026 Mexico World Cup Risk & Fan Experience Index, Miss Investigate, n=2,500, 2026.
| Improvement | Share |
|---|---|
| More visible police | 29% |
| Capacity / crowd control | 26% |
| Better medical stations | 22% |
| Clearer safety alerts | 17% |
| None needed | 6% |
Fans are asking for crowd management to match the size of the crowds, not more reassurance.
The single most striking figure is that 48% of fans who celebrated in the streets say they would not do it again. With the tournament running to July 19, the gap between a 100,000-strong deployment and a public where only 34% know it exists is the space Mexico still has to close.
Figures in this report are illustrative survey estimates modelled on published reporting on 2026 World Cup celebration safety incidents and official security advisories, and are presented for research demonstration purposes. Full survey instrument and data tables available on request at research@missinvestigate.com.
Where did fans feel least safe?
Mexico City, where 71% of celebration-goers felt unsafe, versus 62% nationally.
How did fans rate street-celebration safety?
62% rated them unsafe; only 20% felt safe or very safe.
Where do fans prefer to celebrate?
Only 33% chose official venues; 51% preferred a bar, restaurant, or home.
Who worries most about post-win crime?
Women, at 61% versus 49% of men.
Who changed their travel behavior?
44% overall, rising to 51% among those 55 and over.
What do fans want most?
More visible police (29%) and crowd-control measures (26%).