Human Rights Watch is intensifying pressure on FIFA over human rights concerns for the 2026 World Cup, citing risks from US immigration policies and a lack of child protection measures.
The tournament, scheduled for June 11 to July 19, 2026, across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be the first World Cup with formal human rights bidding requirements.
A central issue is HRW's call for an "ICE Truce"-a moratorium on immigration enforcement operations during World Cup events on US soil. The group also flagged safety concerns for LGBTQ+ individuals, journalists, and protesters attending US matches.
HRW points to its extensive reporting on abuses at the 2022 Qatar World Cup as context, noting that the 2026 tournament's human rights framework was meant to address those failures. However, the organization highlights a significant gap: FIFA lacks a formal child safeguarding policy for the event, posing risks of trafficking and exploitation.
These criticisms create accountability for host cities across North America, requiring alignment of local law enforcement with FIFA's human rights commitments. HRW's demands set up a potential confrontation with the US federal government over immigration enforcement.