FIFA has completed its final preparations for anti-doping operations at the FIFA World Cup 2026, hosting a full-day onboarding and refresher session for all 16 of its appointed Doping Control Officers (DCOs) at its Miami offices.

The gathering brought together every DCO scheduled to lead anti-doping missions across the tournament's 16 Host Cities in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The session served as the last operational briefing before deployment, covering everything from transport logistics and accreditation to sample shipment procedures and tournament-wide testing plans.

Extensive testing programme planned

Each DCO has been assigned to a specific Host City, where they will manage both in-competition and out-of-competition testing throughout the tournament. Their mandate is to ensure FIFA's anti-doping procedures are applied consistently at every venue from first whistle to final.

Officers received hands-on refreshers on FIFA's testing kits — supplied by kit partner LockCon — and reviewed the updated FIFA DCO Manual to maintain a uniform standard of practice across all locations.

International workforce on the ground

The anti-doping operation will draw on a multinational workforce. Under each DCO's leadership, teams of sample collection personnel and chaperones from around the world — including representatives from the National Anti-Doping Organizations of Canada, Mexico, and the United States — will support day-to-day testing activities.

The onboarding session represents the final milestone before DCOs are deployed to their respective Host Cities. FIFA framed the exercise as a reinforcement of its long-standing commitment to clean sport, with all activities required to align with the World Anti-Doping Code, the International Standards, and the FIFA Anti-Doping Regulations.