At least 11 people have died in Bangladesh in incidents connected to the FIFA World Cup 2026, as football-related violence, accidents and health emergencies continue to claim lives across the country.
The deaths include stabbings, electrocutions, a motorcycle rally accident, a cardiac arrest, and a killing following a dispute between rival supporters at a roadside tea stall.
Among the victims was 38-year-old rickshaw driver Shariful Islam, who was beaten to death in Cumilla after making a remark about Lionel Messi missing a penalty during Argentina’s match against Egypt.
Islam, who had relocated from Nilphamari eight months earlier with his wife and two young daughters in search of better schooling opportunities, was reportedly a Brazil supporter who had simply been cheering for Egypt that evening. He collapsed outside a nearby shop after being attacked twice and did not survive.
Three of the 11 deaths were the result of stabbings, while three others were electrocuted while attempting to hoist their team’s flags. A further two died in separate football-related incidents, with one fatality recorded during a motorcycle rally and another attributed to a heart attack.
A suicide has also been reported in connection with the tournament. In Kushtia, a 19-year-old named Ratan took his own life the morning after watching Brazil’s elimination from the tournament alongside his father and brother, both Argentina supporters. His family reported that he began behaving unusually shortly after the final whistle. He left behind a young daughter.
The deaths come against a backdrop of documented football-related fatalities in Bangladesh during previous tournaments.
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Study confirms findings
A study published in July 2024 in the Journal of Injury and Violence Research examined newspaper reports from the 2022 FIFA World Cup and recorded 23 deaths, 35 hospitalisations, and 45 other injuries across more than 15 districts in the country. Falls while hoisting flags accounted for the largest share of fatalities, followed by heart attacks during tense matches. Murders following disputes between rival supporters and accidents during celebrations each accounted for roughly a fifth of deaths.
Every one of the 23 people who died during the 2022 tournament was male, with a median age of 20. The same researchers had previously documented a cluster of suicides among Bangladeshi and Indian supporters following Argentina’s elimination from the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The 2024 study identified intense group identity as a core driver of the violence, with supporters treating the results of geographically distant teams as deeply personal experiences. The researchers noted that social media amplified tribal rivalries and that cyberbullying frequently escalated into real-world confrontations.
International research has drawn similar links between football and public health. A German study following the 2006 FIFA World Cup recorded more than twice the normal rate of acute cardiovascular events among fans watching high-stakes matches, particularly among men with pre-existing heart conditions. Sporting outcomes have also been linked to shifts in mental health data, with France’s 1998 World Cup victory coinciding with a decline in suicides and Iran’s 2014 group-stage elimination associated with a rise in suicide attempts.
The authors of the 2022 Bangladesh study recommended a series of preventive measures, including discouraging fans from hoisting flags from dangerous heights, advising supporters with heart conditions of the risks posed by high-stress matches, promoting responsible behaviour on social media, and encouraging families to monitor relatives known to be emotionally vulnerable.
