Know Your Rights: ICE at the World Cup, Democracy Forward
The 2026 FIFA World Cup raises serious questions about the threats of immigration enforcement near U.S. stadiums. Regardless of immigration status, you have the right to enjoy the tournament without fear. Here’s what you need to know.
Sport and Human Rights, Human Rights Watch
Mega sporting events like the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics draw enormous global audiences and are celebrated as models of unity and human achievement. But many of these tournaments are also linked to serious human rights violations from migrant worker deaths and exclusion of women and girls to crackdowns on the media. Authoritarian governments and illiberal leaders are also increasingly weaponizing sport and “sportswashing” rights abuses by hosting high-profile events or acquiring globally renowned teams. Corruption and patronage mean that too often global sports’ governing bodies are silent about, or even complicit in, rights abuses.
Human Rights Watch works alongside athletes, workers, journalists, fans, and survivors of abuses to press governments, sports bodies, and corporate sponsors to respect human rights in and through sport.
HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.
HRE USA 