Millions of football fans attending the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA risk coming face to face with troubling attacks on human rights, not least those stemming from abusive and deadly US immigration policies, Amnesty International said today. The human rights organization warned that severe restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful protest threaten the “safe, welcoming and inclusive” tournament promised by FIFA.
Its new report, Humanity Must Win: Defending rights, tackling repression at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, details significant risks to and impact on fans, players, journalists, workers and local communities in all three host countries. The USA under President Trump – where three-quarters of World Cup matches will be held – is facing a human rights emergency marked by discriminatory immigration policies, mass detentions and arbitrary arrests by masked, armed agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other agencies.
“The US Government has deported more than 500,000 people from the USA in 2025 – more than six times as many people than will watch the World Cup final in the MetLife Stadium,” said Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice, Steve Cockburn.
“The record-breaking surge of unlawful arrests and deportations has only been possible because of the erosion of due process safeguards, undermining the rights to liberty and security of hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees. These policies have torn communities apart and created a climate of fear throughout the USA. It’s a deeply troubling time in the US, which will certainly extend to fans who want to take part in World Cup celebrations.”
World Cup host cities have been impacted by the US government’s crackdown on rights. President Trump federalized and deployed approximately 4,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June 2025, in response to protests against immigration raids. Host cities Dallas, Houston and Miami have all signed problematic agreements for local law enforcement agencies to collaborate with ICE, which increases racial profiling and targeting of immigrants, and erodes trust between communities and local law enforcement, leading to reduced public safety.
In the other host countries, Mexico has mobilized 100,000 security personnel, including the military, in response to high levels of violence, raising risks for people protesting. This includes women activists who are planning a peaceful protest for the opening match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, seeking truth justice and remedy for the disappearance of loved ones. In Canada, the impact of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and a growing housing crisis have raised fears that people experiencing homelessness will again be displaced and pushed further to the margins. On 15 March, authorities in Toronto closed a winter warming centre providing shelter for people experiencing homelessness, as the venue had been pre-booked for use by FIFA.
US travel restrictions and abusive immigration policies mar the beautiful game
In 2025 alone, the U.S. government deported over 500,000 people, including 230,000 arrested in the interior of the country and 270,000 at the border, according to analysis of official government data by the New York Times. Many have been deported in violation of the principle of non-refoulement to third countries to which they have no connection, to face arbitrary and prolonged detention.
Throughout the US, federal agents, behaving in the manner of a paramilitary-style operation, have repeatedly targeted Latino, Black, Asian and other communities of colour, violently and arbitrarily detaining people, including children, near their homes, schools and workplaces.
With many immigrant communities in the USA likely to want to come together to watch the World Cup, and millions of fans travelling from all over the world, ICE and other agencies pose a chilling threat to people living in the US, those traveling to see a game, and players themselves.
Due to travel bans under the Trump administration, fans from Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti, Iran and Senegal will be unable to travel and enter the US to support their team unless they had valid visas before 1 January 2026. Other fans face intrusive surveillance, with proposals to force visitors to make their social media accounts available for vetting, and screening for “anti-Americanism”.
“Despite the astounding numbers of arrests and deportations, neither FIFA nor the US authorities have provided any guarantees that fans and local communities will be safe from ethnic and racial profiling, indiscriminate raids, or unlawful detention and deportation,” said Steve Cockburn.
“Only four of the 16 host cities have so far published their human rights plans, and none of those that have done so to date say anything about protection from abusive immigration enforcement. This World Cup is no longer the ‘medium risk’ tournament that FIFA once judged it to be – whether it is to protect people from ICE, guarantee the right to protest or prevent homelessness, urgent action is needed to make sure the reality of this World Cup matches its original promise.”
Right to protest and freedom of expression under threat
World Cups are often the focus of protests and there are risks that demonstrations could be repressed.
Across the USA, Canada and Mexico, there have been restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The Trump administration has particularly targeted foreign-born students protesting the Israeli government’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, while US citizens protesting and monitoring aggressive immigration enforcement actions have been killed by federal agents.
Canada has seen a wave of protests against the genocide in Gaza, including large scale peaceful demonstrations and student encampments that were unduly dispersed or cleared by the police.
Mexico has also experienced a series of World Cup-related protests by residents angry about the disruptions to water supplies, access to land, rising costs and gentrification linked to infrastructure development in host cities. The militarized nature of Mexico’s security mobilization for the tournament brings risks that further protests could be repressed.
Human rights must remain at heart of tournament
With just over 10 weeks until the World Cup kicks off, FIFA’s commitment to a tournament where everyone “feels safe, included, and free to exercise their rights” requires urgent action to ensure the beautiful game is not at risk of an ugly outcome. Members from LGBTQI+ groups in the UK and across Europe have said it is not safe for them to have a visible presence at the tournament.
“While FIFA generates record revenues from the 2026 World Cup, fans, communities, players, journalists and workers cannot be made to pay the price. It is these people – not governments, sponsors or FIFA – to whom football belongs, and their rights must be at the centre of the tournament,” said Steve Cockburn.
Background
Amnesty International is part of Sports & Rights Alliance, a movement of fans, athletes, workers, local community members, and human rights organizations calling on FIFA to work with host countries to protect host city residents and communities.
