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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 […]
Athlete Ally Statement on 2030 and 2034 FIFA World Cup Concerns
Athlete Ally responded today to news that Saudi Arabia is now the sole bidder for the 2034 FIFA Men’s World Cup. This follows news that a joint bid from Morocco, Portugal and Spain is the only one being considered for the 2030 Men’s World Cup. FIFA’s Human Rights Policy, adopted in 2017, outlines its responsibility to identify and address adverse […]
FIFA: Secure Human Rights Protections for 2030 and 2034 Men’s World Cups as Bidding Deadline Passes
Sport & Rights Alliance Highlights Risks of Non-Competitive Process (Nyon, Switzerland, 31 October, 2023) — FIFA needs to secure clear and binding commitments to improve human rights in countries likely to host the 2030 and 2034 men’s football World Cup tournaments to prevent serious potential abuses linked to its flagship event, the Sport & Rights […]
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, […]
TAOS Extends Support To Jenni Hermoso, Spain’s Women’s National Football Team
Michigan (Sept 6, 2023) -The Army of Survivors stands with and supports Jenni Hermoso and Spain’s Women’s National Football Team. The ongoing mistreatment by Luis Rubiales, Jorge Vilda, and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) prior to and following the public harassment of Hermoso following Spain’s Women’s World Cup win on August 20, 2023 demonstrates a […]
Spanish Women Players Spotlight Crisis of Abuse
All Players Deserve Harassment-Free Work Environment When Spanish Football Federation President Luis Rubiales refused to step down after kissing Spanish football player and 2023 World Cup champion Jenni Hermoso without her consent, he instead justified his actions. In a speech to the general assembly of the Spanish Football Federation, Rubiales centered himself as the victim, blamed “false feminism” for […]
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 […]
FIFA: Letter Seeking Update on Safe Sport Entity Status and Timeline
(Nyon, Switzerland, July 19, 2023) – FIFA should urgently provide transparent and detailed information on its plans for an Independent Global Safe Sport Entity to address systemic sexual, emotional and physical abuse in sport and provide remedy and support to victims and survivors, the Sport & Rights Alliance (SRA) said today. In a letter to […]
Switzerland: Parliament Must Ensure Respect for Human Rights by Sports Federations
Bern (6 June 2023) – Strong measures are needed to ensure that sports federations based in Switzerland comply with their human rights due diligence obligations, says Amnesty International. The human rights organization, together with the global coalition Sport & Rights Alliance, is calling on the Swiss Parliament to support two policy initiatives that seek to […]
Qatar 2022: Press Briefing on LGBTI+ Rights, Women’s Rights and Press Freedom Ahead of the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup
Since FIFA awarded the 2022 Men’s World Cup to Qatar in 2010, the exploitation of migrant workers fueling the 220-billion-dollar infrastructure project became the center of human rights concerns about this mega sporting event – but it was by no means the only human rights issue at play. On the 9th of November 2022, eleven days […]
FIFA’s ‘Best World Cup Ever’ Came at Migrant Workers’ Loss
World Football’s Chief Claims to Defend Rights, But Still Offers No Remedy In his last news conference before the 2022 World Cup finale, FIFA president Gianni Infantino declared that the football governing body is set to earn US$7.5 billion in revenue. FIFA then failed to commit to compensate migrant workers who built $220 billion in stadiums and tournament […]