News
Get the latest news and updates from our partners on the human rights issues in and around the world of sport.
SEARCH BY KEYWORD
SEARCH BY TAG
Flawed Human Rights Assessment of Saudi Arabia’s Bid for 2034 FIFA World Cup
Human rights groups, football supporters, worker organisations express “deep concern” at global law firm’s flawed World Cup 2034 assessment A flawed human rights assessment of Saudi Arabia’s FIFA 2034 World Cup bid by AS&H Clifford Chance – part of the global partnership of London-based law firm Clifford Chance – leaves the global firm at risk […]
Letter to FIFA Council Members Re: Israeli Settlements and the Israel Football Association
To: FIFA Council Members (via email) Cc: Gianni Infantino, FIFA PresidentMattias Graftström, FIFA Secretary GeneralEmilio Garcia, FIFA Legal Affairs and Compliance Director Re: Israeli Settlements and the Israel Football Association Dear FIFA Council Members, We are writing to encourage you to fulfil FIFA’s responsibilities under its Statutes and international law by ending FIFA’s de facto recognition […]
FIFA: Secure binding safeguards from 2030 and 2034 World Cup bidders
Global: FIFA must protect human rights by securing binding safeguards from 2030 and 2034 World Cup bidders – new report FIFA must rigorously and transparently ensure that bids to host the 2030 and 2034 men’s World Cup tournaments fully safeguard human rights and reject any offer that risks abuses once again tainting the world’s largest sporting […]
Saudi Arabia: ILO Forced Labor Complaint a Wake-Up Call
Global Union Filing Stresses Urgent Need for Labor Reforms, Remedy for Past Abuses (Geneva) – A forced labor complaint against the Saudi Arabian government filed by a global trade union is a significant warning to Saudi authorities and businesses and investors in the country about the predictable and preventable migrant labor abuses associated with the government’s Vision 2030 plan […]
2023 Annual Report: A New Era for Sport and Human Rights
Human Rights Can No Longer Be Ignored by the World of Sport “After years of fighting for global sport to recognize its impact and responsibility toward human rights, the year 2023 ushered in a new era – an era where human rights can no longer be ignored by sport governing bodies,” writes Andrea Florence, director […]
FIFA: Publish Robust Rights Framework for 2026 World Cup
(New York) – FIFA should immediately release and commit to implementing the robust Human Rights Framework for the 2026 Men’s Soccer World Cup, which it developed through extensive consultations with civil society stakeholders and public officials from across North America. The framework, which FIFA shared with host cities in March 2024, will govern labor and human rights for all […]
Global: FIFA must publish its review into compensation for workers harmed delivering the World Cup in Qatar
FIFA should immediately publish and act on a review it received five months ago assessing its human rights responsibilities towards workers harmed delivering the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar, Amnesty International said today. Amnesty International understands that an independent review, which was announced at FIFA’s Congress early last year and had its findings approved by FIFA’s […]
Statement by Dignity 2026 Coalition on the Announcement of the Match Schedule for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup
This weekend, FIFA released the much-anticipated match schedule for the 2026 Men’s World Cup, which will be held across 16 cities in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. As planning accelerates in these host cities, event organizers will now be making critical decisions on tournament operations, including for Fan Fests, transportation, concessions, and hospitality. In […]
Saudi Government Uses European Football to Sportswash its Reputation
Italian, Spanish Super Cups Played in Riyadh to Divert Attention From Abuses Forget Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist brutally murdered in a Saudi consulate, and all his colleagues jailed, censored or harassed in Saudi Arabia; don’t think about women’s and LGBT rights in the kingdom; and ignore the mass killings of migrants along the Saudi border with Yemen. Look, there, Saudi […]
FIFA Broke Own Human Rights Rules for World Cup Hosts
Saudi Arabia Shouldn’t be Rewarded for Its Repression (New York) – Global soccer governing body FIFA has broken its own human rights rules in announcing a plan for hosting the next two men’s World Cups that effectively eliminates bidding and human rights due diligence, Human Rights Watch said today. On October 4, FIFA announced that the 2030 World Cup will take place in Morocco, Portugal, […]
FIFA Must Show The Red Card To Sexual Abuse
The Goal Is A Safe Place To Work For Women And Teen Players The Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is on track to become the most attended stand-alone women’s sporting event in history as 32 top women’s teams compete for the coveted title of World Champion. What fans of the sport don’t see is […]
Women’s World Cup Shows Equality Still Has A Long Way To Go
The 2023 Women’s World Cup tournament begins this week to great fanfare and broadcasting revenues estimated at close to $200 million. This is great news for the sport’s global governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)— but not so great for the women players on the field. As a flagship event in women’s sport, the […]