More than 167,000 arrests were carried out by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in and around the 11 American World Cup host cities in the run-up to the tournament, with roughly 10,000 of them coming during a single five-day period in late June while matches were being played, according to a joint report released on Tuesday.
The 50-page document, titled “Profit Over People: The 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup,” was published by the Sport & Rights Alliance and Football Supporters Europe, with Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders and other coalition members contributing.
“The 2026 World Cup exposed how the priorities and direction set by FIFA’s leadership put profit over people,” said Andrea Florence, executive director of the Sport & Rights Alliance.
The tournament, held across Canada, Mexico and the United States from 11 June to 19 July, was the largest in the competition’s history, with 48 teams and 104 matches. The report argues that access to it was shaped by economic status, nationality, immigration status, disability, gender identity and political circumstance.
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US travel restrictions affecting citizens of more than 39 countries, combined with what the authors describe as the highest ticket prices in World Cup history, kept many supporters from the Global South out of the stadiums. In Mexico, police used tear gas against protesters near venues; in Canada, host cities moved to displace unhoused residents.
Supporters shut out of the stadiums
Ronan Evain, executive director of Football Supporters Europe, said the organisers failed the audience the sport depends on.
“Supporters were treated as objects to be exploited rather than the heart of the game,” Evain said.
Fans with disabilities faced accessibility barriers that, according to the report, breached legal requirements, including a lack of free companion seating. More than 65,000 people had signed an Amnesty International petition calling for FIFA action before the opening match.
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Players and journalists caught up
At least eight players took part in the tournament while facing pending sexual assault cases, the report says, with no transparent eligibility framework in place at FIFA. Members of Iran’s national team were hit by visa delays and denials, and Somali referee Omar Artan was turned away at the US border after an 11-hour interrogation.
Two journalists were detained in Mexico during the tournament. Reporters Without Borders USA, part of the coalition behind the report, zeroed in on the governing body’s handling of press access.
“FIFA’s lack of clarity on media accreditation, coordination with visa processes, and blasé attitude toward media briefings underscored FIFA’s failures to uphold human rights,” said Clayton Weimers, executive director of Reporters Without Borders USA.
Frank Conde Tangberg, a policy adviser at Amnesty International, also contributed to the report.
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“The unity and joy we saw on the pitch and in the stands were a world away from the fear and division beyond the stadiums,” Tangberg said.
What the authors want from FIFA
The coalition is calling for binding, enforceable human rights conditions in FIFA’s host agreements for future tournaments, together with a survivor-centred framework governing which athletes and officials can compete when serious misconduct allegations are pending.
It also wants the reinstatement of an independent Human Rights Advisory Board, a reformed Ethics Committee and a permanent Remedy Fund. The demands are addressed directly to candidates in the 2027 FIFA presidential election.
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