Soccer Governing Body Action For US Tournament Bodes Ill For 2026 World Cup

(New York) – The global soccer governing body FIFA’s reported decision to cancel previously planned additional anti-racism and anti-discrimination messaging at Club World Cup venues in the United States signals a human rights risk for FIFA’s upcoming 2026 World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico, the Dignity 2026 coalition said today.

The 2025 Club World Cup is a global soccer tournament currently underway in the United States in 12 stadiums across 11 cities. It is seen as a test run for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico. FIFA briefly reinstated its anti-racism and anti-discrimination messaging on June 18, the International Day for Countering Hate Speech, but has since withdrawn the messages. The campaign, which displays messages in stadiums and venues and is televised via matches, aims to raise awareness and calls for an end to discrimination in football.

On July 2, 2025, homophobic chants were reported at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta at the FIFA Club World Cup game featuring Borussia Dortmund against Monterrey. FIFA displayed a warning that the game would be suspended if the chants continued.

“By withdrawing its own anti-discrimination and anti-racism messaging, FIFA is sending a dangerous signal to players, fans, and the wider public,” said Bailey Brown, president of the Independent Supporters Council, the leading North American alliance of fan groups. “The absence of these messages risks normalizing discrimination and undermining the progress made in soccer in recent years.”

The Dignity 2026 Coalition brings together 15 national-level human rights groups, labor unions and worker networks, athletes’ organizations, fans, and migrant rights groups working to ensure that the 2026 FIFA World Cup respects rights and stands up for the interests of affected communities.

“Global soccer has long needed to directly confront racism, discrimination, and homophobia to protect players, fans, and children,” said Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch. “Any cancelation of FIFA’s well-established campaigns to eradicate hateful actions in sport is an inexplicable and inexcusable step backward.”

FIFA’s longstanding anti-racism campaign uses the hashtag #NoDiscriminationFIFA and the website NoDiscrimination.FIFA.com. The messaging raises awareness about how to use FIFA’s zero-tolerance and related policies against all forms of discrimination and racism. FIFA’s anti-racism campaign has not been removed from FIFA’s official website, but it is not meaningful without promotion in stadiums and televised games. 

FIFA’s cancellation of anti-discrimination messaging, reported in The New York Times’ sports edition, The Athletic, on June 16, 2025, represents a major change from previous competitions. At the Women’s World Cup in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand and the Men’s World Cup in 2022 in Qatar, those messages were shown in the stadium, on the jumbotron screen, and were rolled out across FIFA’s official social media. In response to The Athletic’s report, FIFA did not explain why it had eliminated this messaging.

“At a time when athletes and fans worldwide are demanding greater inclusion and accountability, FIFA’s retreat from basic anti-discrimination commitments sends a chilling message that discrimination will be tolerated,” said Andrea Florence, executive director of the Sport & Rights Alliance. “Especially with the 2026 Men’s World Cup approaching, FIFA should be raising the bar for human rights protections, not lowering it.”

FIFA should publish the reasons for the apparent sudden cancellation of the anti-racism campaign, the Dignity coalition said. It should immediately reinstate all planned messaging during Club World Cup events at the various venues, as well as for the 2026 World Cup.

As recently as May 21, 2025, FIFA has published and held meetings on its “Red Card to Racism” campaign, which featured FIFA President Gianni Infantino urging the United Nations, policy makers, legislators, and criminal justice professionals from around the world to “join FIFA in the fight against racism and discrimination.” At the UN event, Infantino said that “FIFA could not win the battle against racism alone.”

“FIFA’s reported decision to cancel anti-discrimination campaigns at the Club World Cup during Pride month in some parts of the world is a shocking setback for efforts to end homophobia and transphobia in sport,” said Hudson Taylor, executive director of Athlete Ally, which fights for equal access, opportunity, and experience in sports. “This decision—made without explanation or consultation with key stakeholders—should be reversed.”

FIFA’s apparent choice to shelve these messages is surprising since FIFA had reportedly prepared promotional content for its “no racism” and “no discrimination” initiatives ahead of the Club World Cup tournament.

“FIFA’s decision to withdraw its anti-discrimination messaging is a retreat from the progress made in recent years, since FIFA adopted a Human Rights Policy in 2017,” said Jennifer Li, director of the Center for Community Health Innovation at Georgetown Law’s O’Neill Institute. “FIFA had previously introduced reforms in its statutes, at its tournaments, and in its marketing materials to kick racism and discrimination out of sport.”

By failing to promote these initiatives at the Club World Cup, FIFA risks sending a message that the fight against racism and discrimination is no longer a priority, despite egregious acts of discrimination and racial abuse against football players. This could lead to underreporting of abuse and contribute to a hazardous work environment for athletes and fans. 

“We urge FIFA to clarify the reasons for this sudden reversal and to reaffirm its commitment to human rights, anti-racism, and equality,” said Jamal R. Watkins, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Advancement at the NAACP. “FIFA should also ensure that stakeholders and its own human rights and anti-discrimination teams are fully consulted and involved in all future decisions related to human rights.”