More than 120 human rights organizations issued a travel warning, saying visitors to the 2026 FIFA World Cup could face “serious rights violations” because of the immigration policies of the United States government. The coalition said fans, players, journalists and other travelers attending World Cup matches in the United States risk being affected by what it described as the Trump administration’s “draconian, anti-human-rights immigration agenda.”
The group urged FIFA to pressure the U.S. government to guarantee the safety of all travelers to the tournament. FIFA president Gianni Infantino has close ties with Trump. “FIFA has limited itself to empty statements on human rights while cozying up to the Trump administration, putting millions of people at risk of harm and of having their basic rights violated,” said Jamil Dakwar, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s human rights program.
“It is long past time for FIFA to use its influence to push for meaningful policy changes and binding guarantees that make people feel safe traveling and enjoying the matches,” he added.
Travel bans
FIFA said in a statement that its statutes commit it “to respect all internationally recognized human rights and to strive to promote the protection of those rights.” The world football governing body pointed to several documents related to the 2026 World Cup and the creation of a human rights advisory group “made up of independent experts” as examples of its commitment.
Those steps are “evidence of [the organization’s] commitment to human rights in all key activities and with all actors related to the tournament,” FIFA said. Most of the matches, 78 of 104, will be played in the United States, which is co-hosting the competition with Canada and Mexico.
Four qualified countries, Iran, Haiti, Senegal and Ivory Coast, may be unable to count on their fans because of travel restrictions imposed by the U.S. government, at a time when Trump has made anti-immigration policy the central focus of his second term. Washington says these measures do not affect tourist visas, meaning fans with tickets will not be affected.
FIFA has also set up an expedited process to schedule consular appointments for visa applications, but without any guarantee that a visa will be granted. Many fans also fear traveling to the United States this summer because of raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, which is responsible for detaining and deporting foreign nationals without legal status.
In January, two U.S. citizens protesting the immigration crackdown were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis, prompting widespread outrage.
