June 12 – One year out from the 2026 World Cup, a coalition of rights groups, led by the Sports & Rights Alliance, have urged FIFA to take steps to safeguard human rights during the tournament.
The 48-team finals in the US, Mexico and Canada will be the largest football event in history but the Sports & Rights Alliance, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have demanded FIFA act in what they have identified as an escalating climate of discrimination in the US by the Donald Trump administration.
“In 2018, the US, Mexico, and Canada provided clear human rights commitments in their bid documents to host the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup,” said Andrea Florence, executive director of the Sport & Rights Alliance, in a statement. “Despite FIFA’s mantra that ‘football unites the world’, a World Cup held under discriminatory and exclusionary policies risks deepening social divides rather than bridging them. FIFA should exert its leverage and demand concrete, legally binding guarantees that human rights won’t be further sacrificed for the sake of the game.”
The groups identified a series of core areas of concern, including discrimination against LGBTI people, discriminatory immigration laws, labour rights and press freedom. Following Trump’s executive order exempting teams qualifying for the tournament from travel bans, concerns are growing that fans and extended family members from banned countries will not be allowed to enter the United States. “Delays, denials, and the real prospect of detention for fans, media, and other participants from specific countries could severely disrupt the tournament,” note the group.
FIFA expects around 6.5 million fans for the finals. However, the recent immigration policies of Trump do not reflect a welcoming climate. Recently, US Vice President JD Vance warned fans coming to the World Cup about overstaying. Human Rights Watch previously wrote to FIFA demanding the organisation leverage its position.
“FIFA should publicly acknowledge the threat US immigration and other anti-human rights policies pose to the tournament’s integrity and use its leverage with the US government to ensure that the rights of all qualified teams, support staff, media, and fans are respected as they seek to enter the United States regardless of nationality, gender identity, religion, or opinion,” said Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch. “FIFA should establish clear benchmarks and timelines for the US policy changes needed to ensure respect for immigrants’ rights during the 2026 World Cup and beyond.”
The Club World Cup, which kicks off on Saturday with Inter Miami hosting Al Ahly, might become a flashpoint. Ticket sales are low and it is understood that migrant communities are worried about attending matches. On social media United States Customs and Border Protection posted that: “CBP will be suited and booted and ready to provide security for the first round of games.” In a response to a question from NBC Miami, FIFA boss Gianni Infantino said that: “I don’t have any concerns about anything in the sense that we are very attentive on any security question.”
However, on Sunday, Los Angeles will play host to European champions Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid on the second day of the tournament. In an unprecedented move, the Trump administration has deployed troops to the city to quell protests against ICE raids, raising tensions.
On Wednesday, FIFA marked one year until the kick-off the 2026 finals.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1749718945labto1749718945ofdlr1749718945owedi1749718945sni@i1749718945tnuk.1749718945ardni1749718945mas1749718945
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