The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place, according to representatives of several NGOs who participated this Monday in an event organized by ‘Human Rights Watch’, “in an atmosphere of fear” due to the policy of US President Donald Trump against immigrants, which may also affect fans and journalists who want to attend the tournament.
«It was supposed to be the first World Cup with clear regulations of human rights and protection for workers, fans, players and communities. “Instead, the US administration, with its brutal immigration policy, discriminatory measures and threats to press freedom, puts the tournament at risk of being defined as the tournament of fear and exclusion,” said Minky Worden, director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch.
According to the same organization, members of migrant communities who go to stadiums or fan zones to support the teams of their countries of origin run the risk of falling into the crosshairs of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE).
In addition, fans from many countries will not be able to enter the US due to visa restrictions imposed by the Trump administration.
Given this situation, according to the executive director of the ‘Sport&Rights Alliance’ organization, Andrea Florence, FIFA, far from trying to exert pressure on the US administration, is trying to contribute to washing its image.
«FIFA has done nothing about the current situation. On the contrary, he has tried to wash his image by giving him the so-called Peace Prize,” he said.
The 2026 World Cup, organized by the US, Canada and Mexico, will be held after those in Russia and Qatar, two venues that participants described as “problematic” from the point of view of human rights.
“We were coming off two problematic tournaments and we were hoping this one would be different and then the Trump administration arrived,” said Reporters Without Borders Germany director Christin Mihr.
Martin Endemabbm, of the fan organization ‘Football Supporters Europe’, highlighted that while the Qatari authorities made an effort to show the best possible face of their country in terms of human rights before the World Cup, the Trump administration “does not care about the issue.”
“I don’t even want to think about what could happen if there are any protests near the stadiums,” he said.
