World Cup 2026: Amnesty warns fans

Rights concerns across host nations

According to Colin Millar of The Athletic, Amnesty International says the United States is “facing a human rights emergency”, while also identifying risks in Mexico and Canada. Rather than presenting the tournament as a straightforward celebration of football, the report frames it as a major international event unfolding against a backdrop of tighter security measures, pressure on public space and growing concern over civil liberties across all three host countries.

In Mexico, Amnesty says the deployment of 100,000 security personnel, including military forces, could increase the risks for people taking part in demonstrations. In Canada, the group pointed to the closure of a Winter warming center in Toronto after the site had been reserved for FIFA use, using that case to argue that tournament planning can also have consequences for vulnerable residents beyond the stadiums.

U.S. faces the strongest criticism

According to The Athletic’s reporting on Amnesty’s findings, the sharpest criticism is directed at the United States, which is due to host 78 of the tournament’s 104 matches. Amnesty’s concerns center on immigration enforcement, detention practices and agreements that could deepen cooperation between ICE and local law enforcement in host cities such as Dallas, Houston and Miami, raising fears about profiling, surveillance and the treatment of migrants and visiting supporters.

The report also points to wider barriers that could affect travel to the tournament. According to The Athletic, fans from several participating or eligible countries may face visa bond requirements of up to $15,000 to obtain entry to the United States, while Amnesty says some supporters could also be subject to travel bans, intrusive screening and social media vetting. Taken together, those measures suggest that access to the World Cup may depend not only on tickets and travel plans, but also on nationality, immigration status and government scrutiny.

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Officials push back on the warning

In response to the report, a U.S. State Department spokesperson told The Athletic, “Every effort is being made to ensure that these events are safe and successful, and that global fans, families, and athletes have a seamless experience during every part of their visit.” The spokesperson also said preparations for the World Cup have been underway for more than a year and that safety and security remain the top priority of the White House Task Force overseeing the tournament.

Amnesty, however, says official reassurance does not resolve the underlying rights concerns. Steve Cockburn of Amnesty International described the current atmosphere in the United States as “a deeply troubling time” and argued that the climate created by current policies could extend to supporters hoping to attend matches and join World Cup celebrations. That contrast, between government assurances and rights based criticism, is becoming one of the defining tensions surrounding the tournament before a ball has even been kicked.

Why FIFA’s promises are under sharper scrutiny

According to Amnesty International, the issue is not only how governments plan to police the World Cup, but also how far FIFA is willing to push host authorities to protect the people affected by the event. The report says only four of the 16 host cities have published human rights plans so far, and none of those plans sets out protections against abusive immigration enforcement, a gap Amnesty presents as a serious weakness in the tournament’s preparation.

That leaves FIFA facing a broader credibility test as the opening match on June 11 approaches. According to Colin Millar’s article for The Athletic, Amnesty’s position is that a World Cup generating record revenue cannot be allowed to place the burden on fans, workers, journalists and local communities. The central warning is that the competition may be remembered not only for football, but also for whether FIFA and host governments matched their public promises with real protections on the ground.

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Sources: Colin Millar, The Athletic, Amnesty International, U.S. State Department

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