On June 11, 2026, the largest and most lucrative FIFA World Cup to date will kick off at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, Mexico, culminating six weeks and 104 games later at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA.
Millions of fans will travel to Canada, Mexico and the USA, while billions more will watch the tournament on television around the world. FIFA stands to earn $11 billion from the spectacle.
For millions of fans, the World Cup represents something special: an extraordinary moment of shared joy, a chance to travel across borders, even via a screen, to support their national team, and a global celebration of the world’s most followed sport. FIFA itself has promised a tournament where everyone “feels safe, included and free to exercise their rights.” It is a promise that has rarely been more needed – and is at high risk of being broken.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is taking place amidst an acute human rights crisis, with significant risks and impacts for fans, players, journalists, workers and local communities alike.
The USA – where three-quarters of World Cup matches will be held – is facing a “human rights emergency” and a recognizable pattern of authoritarian practices. Armed agents are breaking down doors, detaining children and have deported hundreds of thousands of people. LGBTQI+ fan groups say it is not safe to have a visible presence, and supporters of four qualifying countries are barred from entering the country.
Globally, the situation is fraught. Despite being awarded the newly created FIFA Peace Prize in December 2025, the Trump administration has actively sought to dismantle and defund existing systems of international cooperation, committed an act of aggression in Venezuela, launched air strikes that constitute extrajudicial executions in Latin America and initiated, jointly with Israel, large-scale attacks against Iran – killing civilians as well as putting the country’s participation in the tournament in doubt.
Read the full report, “Humanity Must Win: Defending Rights, Tackling Repression at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.”