The other final whistle: World Cup and global health's unfinished game

Drawing on the stark contrast between the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the accelerating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this article analyzes the structural limits of leveraging mega-sporting events for global health governance. It shows that while partnerships like the FIFA-WHO alliance advance health advocacy, their impact remains constrained by non-binding terms and event-bound scopes, calling for stronger multilateral mechanisms.