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FIFA: Fear and Uncertainty in Final Countdown to 2026 World Cup
Voices of People Impacted by FIFA’s Top Tournament (New York, June 10, 2026) – As the world awaits the opening whistle of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup, players, fan groups, and human rights groups are highlighting the risks posed by the U.S. government’s visa bans, travel restrictions and abusive immigration operations, the Sport & […]
Debunking the IOC FAQ
In connection to the IOC Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in Olympic Sport A scientific, legal, and child safeguarding analysis from Humans of Sport May 2026 Introduction On 26 March 2026, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board adopted a new Policy on the Protection of the Female (Women’s) Category in […]
FIFA: Keep the World in the World Cup
Football belongs to the world. FIFA is planning the biggest World Cup ever: 48 teams, matches in 16 cities across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and billions watching around the world. FIFA has promised a safe, welcoming and ‘inclusive’ tournament through its Human Rights Framework. But under U.S. President Donald Trump, harsh anti-human […]
2026 World Cup: Tournament Will Kick Off in Climate of Fear
‘Reporters’ Guide’ Outlines ICE Threats, Press Freedom Risks, Unmet FIFA Commitments (Berlin) – The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup is unfolding against a backdrop of abusive immigration enforcement in the United States, new threats to media freedom, discrimination, and unmet human rights commitments by FIFA and host cities, Human Rights Watch said today, releasing a “Reporters’ Guide” […]
World Cup: 2 Months Out, FIFA and Host Cities Sideline Rights
Missing Host City ‘Human Rights Action Plans’ Underscore Lack of Protections (New York) – World Cup city host committees and FIFA have fallen short on the steps needed to protect players and fans, Human Rights Watch said today, with the tournament two months away. All but one of the host city committees have either failed to present […]
2025 Annual Report: Shifting the Power of Sport
Impacted People are Leading the Way “Looking back at our collective work and impact in 2025, one message is clear: policies are being put to the test, and the world of sport is being called to rise to the occasion,” reflects Andrea Florence, executive director of the Sport & Rights Alliance. “While multi-billion dollar organizations […]
Global: FIFA and World Cup hosts must prevent tournament becoming a threat to fans and communities
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 […]
Olympics: Uphold human rights for all athletes
Requesting clarification on the IOC Working Group on Women’s Category The Sport & Rights Alliance has written to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) regarding the IOC Working Group on the “protection of the female category” and potential decisions to implement mandatory sex testing and a blanket ban on transgender and intersex athletes in the women’s […]
World Cup 2026: FIFA Needs to Act on Human Rights
As FIFA Awards “Peace Prize,” Coalition Calls for Concrete Protections for Workers, Athletes, Fans, Journalists, and Children (Washington, DC, December 3, 2025) – FIFA, the international soccer governing body, needs to match its lofty rhetoric on rights with concrete action, a coalition of human rights organizations, trade unions, and fans groups said today. FIFA is […]
US: ICE Arrest at FIFA Event Spotlights Dangers for World Cup
Asylum Seeker Detained, Returned to Country of Origin (New York) – The arrest and return of an asylum seeker who took his children to the Club World Cup soccer tournament final on July 13, 2025, raises serious concerns about the safety of noncitizens attending the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Human Rights Watch said today. In […]
Youth Football Dream Turned Into Nightmare
Senegalese Player Cheikh Touré’s Death Reignites Football Trafficking Debate On November 2, a funeral was held for Cheikh Touré, a promising young Senegalese goalkeeper, after his body was finally returned to his family from Ghana. According to media reports, Touré had traveled to Ghana to meet people he believed to be football scouts. They allegedly kidnapped him, extorted money from his mother, and […]
New report: “No one wants to talk about it”
Voices of impacted people on participation of athletes convicted of sexual offenses (Amsterdam, October 6, 2025) – The Sport & Rights Alliance’s Athletes Network for Safer Sports has released a crucial new exploratory study, “No one wants to talk about it:” Voices of impacted people on the participation of athletes convicted of sexual offenses at […]