The upcoming FIFA World Cup is being held at a time of “a serious human rights crisis” and will pose significant risks to traveling fans, local communities and tournament officials, Amnesty International said.
Rights groups on Monday outlined the threats facing millions of domestic and international soccer fans traveling to Canada, Mexico and the United States for the six-week tournament.
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“The United States, which hosts three-quarters of the World Cup matches, is facing a ‘human rights emergency’ and clear authoritarian practices,” Amnesty International said.
The scathing report was released 10 weeks before the convention amid immigration crackdowns, restrictions on protests and deaths at the hands of U.S. law enforcement.
“Armed agents are breaking down doors, detaining children and deporting hundreds of thousands of people,” he said, referring to U.S. immigration policy.
FIFA urges host country to take action
Amnesty International said FIFA had judged the World Cup to be a “medium risk” tournament, but it could become “an arena for repression and authoritarian action”.
At least six people died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in 2026, with a seventh shot and killed by an off-duty ICE officer. Last year, 32 deaths were reported while in ICE custody.
Most deaths are due to health complications, but some families of deceased inmates have accused them of abuse and medical neglect.
ICE’s acting director said last month that the agency would be “an important part of the overall security apparatus for the World Cup.”
The London-based Amnesty International report calls on FIFA and the World Cup host countries to take urgent action to protect fans, players, journalists, workers and local communities.
FIFA promises a tournament where everyone can “participate with confidence and freely exercise their rights.” But Amnesty International said incidents such as forced closures of protests, gender bias, indiscriminate attacks, ethnic profiling, arbitrary arrests, mass detentions, cartel violence and illegal deportations painted a different picture of the host country.
The group accused the United States, which hosts 78 of the tournament’s 104 games, of closing off civic space while dehumanizing and criminalizing marginalized people under President Donald Trump’s administration.
“The administration has been actively promoting anti-immigrant and anti-refugee policies.” “It is an agenda that exposes migrants, asylum seekers and refugees to numerous human rights violations,” the report said.
Amnesty International also expressed concern about the Trump administration’s visa ban on nationals of the 12 countries that qualified for the World Cup, saying: “The blanket ban targets individuals based on race, religion and nationality, and focuses on countries with majority black, brown and Muslim populations, amounting to racial discrimination under human rights law.”
Mexico, which will host the opening round of the tournament, is facing domestic problems following a wave of violence sparked in the country on February 23 following the killing of a drug lord who led one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations.
Immediately after news of his killing, armed groups torched cars and blocked highways in more than six states.
Mexican authorities then sought to assure FIFA officials and potential travelers that the tournament was safe.
In addition to warning of the possibility of violence, Amnesty’s report said the Women’s Movement, a group of mothers calling for truth, justice and redress for the country’s 133,500 missing persons, was planning a peaceful protest outside the opening match at Banorte Stadium in Mexico City.
Meanwhile, in Canada, there are concerns that people experiencing homelessness may be forced to leave their homes as the housing crisis worsens. Amnesty’s report also cited “violence and harassment” against the LGBTQ community.
Trump administration is criticized
Amnesty’s report also criticized President Trump, who received the newly created FIFA Peace Prize in December 2025, when FIFA President Gianni Infantino praised him.
Infantino, a close ally of President Trump, has said he believes the president should have won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to broker a ceasefire in Israel’s genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.
“This is your award, this is your Peace Prize,” Infantino said at a glittering ceremony packed with celebrities.
However, Amnesty International said the Trump administration is “actively dismantling and defunding existing systems of international cooperation, carrying out acts of aggression in Venezuela, launching airstrikes that amount to extrajudicial executions in Latin America, and launching a large-scale attack on Iran in conjunction with Israel, killing civilians and jeopardizing Iran’s participation in the Games.”
Amnesty International said published U.S. host city plans do not address how fans and local communities will be protected from ICE operations.
The international soccer governing body, which has been heavily criticized for its decision to award the award to Trump, stands to make $11 billion from the tournament cycle.
“FIFA is making record profits from the 2026 World Cup, but we cannot make fans, communities, players, journalists and workers pay the price,” said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s head of economic and social justice.
“These are the people to whom football belongs, not governments, sponsors or FIFA, and their rights should be at the heart of the tournament.”
The World Cup will begin on June 11th at Mexico City Stadium in Mexico, with the final scheduled for July 19th at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA.
