Lost passport, stopped at the border, phone seized, or detained at a match — the situations no one plans for but every international fan should know about before they travel.
Nobody sits on the plane to their first World Cup thinking about what happens if their passport gets stolen on day two. But it happens — it happened to hundreds of fans at Qatar 2022 and Brazil 2014 — and the fans who knew what to do in the first hour got replacement travel documents in 24 hours. The fans who didn't know what to do spent days in limbo, missing matches, in a foreign country with no ID and no plan.
This guide covers the five situations that cause the most serious problems for international fans: lost or stolen passport, digital fraud, local laws that differ from home, emergency contact numbers, and your rights if you're ever detained or questioned by authorities. Read this before you need it. Save the emergency numbers to your phone tonight.
Get a police report (denuncia) — you will need this for your replacement application. In Mexico: 800-004-1920. In USA/Canada: dial 911 or the local non-emergency police line. Without this report, most embassies cannot process an emergency passport.
Emergency passports can typically be issued in 24–72 hours. Bring: your police report, any secondary ID you have, two passport photos (most pharmacies in the US have photo kiosks), and proof of your travel (flight booking, match ticket). Find your embassy's emergency number — this is different from their regular number and is staffed 24/7.
Airlines require valid ID to board. Contact them as soon as possible — most airlines have protocols for emergency travel document holders and will accommodate you, but they need advance notice. Your hotel concierge can often help you find local consular contacts and emergency transport.
Your embassy can issue an Emergency Travel Certificate valid for your return journey only. Costs vary ($50–$200 USD equivalent). Process takes 1–3 business days. This document is specifically for getting home — not for continued travel around the World Cup.
If your match tickets are linked to your passport number, contact the FIFA Fan Services helpdesk. They can link your emergency travel document to your remaining tickets so you are not locked out of matches while your replacement passport is processed.
A scam where fraudsters pose as law enforcement by phone or video call, claiming you're implicated in fraud and demanding immediate payment to avoid arrest. Extremely common targeting international visitors.
No legitimate police force in the USA, Canada, or Mexico will demand payment over the phone or via digital transfer to avoid arrest. If this happens: hang up immediately, do not pay, do not share personal details.
End the call. Do NOT pay anything. Report to local police with a screenshot of any messages received. Contact your bank immediately if you shared any financial details.
Use a VPN on all public WiFi. Enable 2FA on banking apps before you travel. Never use public charging stations (use your own charger). Keep bank transaction alerts turned on.
Public alcohol consumption is restricted in many areas. Photography of police or military is technically illegal. Carrying any drug paraphernalia carries serious criminal penalties. Always carry your passport — Mexican law requires you to be able to identify yourself to authorities.
Open container laws (public drinking) vary by state and city. Marijuana is legal in some host states (Washington, California) but illegal and prosecuted in others (Texas, Florida, Georgia). Always comply with CBP and TSA — they have very broad authority.
Cannabis is legal but absolutely cannot be transported across any international border. Public drinking is restricted to licensed areas. Canadian customs can request to search your phone — you can decline but may face delays at the border.
Always carry photo ID. Follow FIFA Fan Code of Conduct — violations can result in tournament bans. Racist, discriminatory, or homophobic chanting is a criminal offence in all three host countries. Stadium staff will remove you, and police can charge you.
In the USA, Canada, and Mexico you have the right to remain silent when questioned. Say clearly: "I am invoking my right to remain silent and wish to speak with a lawyer." Then say nothing more until you have legal representation.
You have the right to consult with an attorney before answering questions. If you cannot afford one in the USA or Canada, a public defender will be provided. In Mexico, demand a public defender (defensor de oficio) immediately.
Under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, you have the right to have your country's consulate notified of your detention. State clearly: "I request consular notification and access." This is an international right that applies in all three host countries.
Note the officer's badge number, agency name, time, location, and reason given for any detention. Text this information to someone at home immediately. This is critical if any legal process follows and something you can do without waiting for a lawyer.
Most of the serious situations that international fans encounter at major tournaments are not caused by bad luck — they're caused by being unprepared for an environment that differs significantly from home. An Indian or Nigerian fan stepping off a plane into a US city for the first time is navigating an unfamiliar legal and social environment, and small misunderstandings can escalate.
The most effective preparation is simple and takes an evening: save your embassy's emergency number to your phone, photograph all your travel documents and back them up to cloud storage, share your itinerary with someone at home, and spend 20 minutes reading the basic local laws for each city you're visiting. That's genuinely it. Most serious situations that affect fans who've done this get resolved in hours. For fans who haven't, they take days.