7 in 10 World Cup soccer followers are able to put their digital privateness in danger, warns ExpressVPN

73% of surveyed followers belief public Wi-Fi simply by its identify
Evil twin assaults exploit stadium networks
Utilizing a high quality VPN secures your knowledge on public networks

With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, hundreds of thousands of soccer followers are set to unintentionally expose themselves to cyber threats by prioritizing connectivity over safety on stadium Wi-Fi networks.

A current survey commissioned by ExpressVPN, the most effective VPN companies in the marketplace, reveals a startling disconnect between fan enthusiasm and cybersecurity consciousness forward of main tournaments just like the 2026 World Cup.

A survey of 6,000 soccer followers throughout six markets revealed that 73% stated they’d belief and connect with a public Wi-Fi community if it used the identify of a venue they had been attending. But fewer than 4 in 10 followers stated they might reliably inform an actual public Wi-Fi community from a faux one.

This willingness to simply accept hazard stems from a number of elements: the will to share dwell moments immediately on social media, examine real-time scores and stats, stream matches, or just keep related whereas touring to venues. For a lot of supporters, all of this appears like an important a part of touring, so that they willingly connect with unsecured networks regardless of the dangers.

(Picture credit score: ExpressVPN)

Stadium Wi-Fi represents probably the most weak factors in a fan’s matchday expertise. These large-scale public networks create best circumstances for cybercriminals to deploy easy but efficient assault vectors.

Among the many most prevalent threats is what’s often known as evil twin assaults, a method that entails cybercriminals establishing rogue Wi-Fi networks that mimic authentic venue entry factors to trick folks into connecting.

As Aaron Engel, ExpressVPN’s Chief Info Safety Officer, defined: “Cybercriminals do not want subtle instruments to focus on soccer followers. They will identify a community after a stadium, resort, or fan occasion and await folks to attach. Our analysis exhibits that acquainted names carry extra belief than they need to.”

As soon as related to a rogue community, attackers can intercept login credentials, monetary knowledge, and private messages. This publicity can result in unauthorized account entry, id theft, and monetary fraud.

The implications of falling for such a entice prolong far past momentary inconvenience, with youthful followers going through the best stakes. Within the US, for instance, 30.2% of followers aged 18 to 29 admitted to checking their banking or monetary apps whereas related on stadium Wi-Fi.

With private info turning into more and more invaluable, the value of connecting to that unsecured community may find yourself being surprisingly excessive.

Happily, defending your self does not require sacrificing connectivity or the flexibility to share your matchday expertise. Taking a number of easy safety measures can considerably cut back publicity to those widespread threats.

At the beginning, followers ought to keep away from conducting delicate actions on public Wi-Fi networks solely. Banking functions, purchasing purchases, and password adjustments ought to all wait till you’re on a safe, personal connection.

Utilizing a respected digital personal community (VPN) encrypts your entire site visitors whatever the underlying community high quality, making a safe tunnel that stops even superior attackers from studying transmitted knowledge.

Moreover, vacationers ought to disable computerized Wi-Fi connections earlier than arriving at vacation spot stadiums. Supporters also needs to guarantee their machine working methods and functions are up to date earlier than journey, and allow two-factor authentication (2FA) on all accounts.

By combining these practices, soccer followers can navigate the 2026 World Cup with confidence and deal with the sport slightly than safety threats.