Amnesty Warns of Repression Risks at 2026 World Cup

Amnesty International issued a stark warning on Monday that the 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, could devolve into a platform for repression rather than a celebration of global unity. The human rights organization released its report, "Humanity Must Win," urging FIFA and the host nations to implement immediate measures to safeguard fans, players, journalists, workers and local communities from threats including aggressive immigration enforcement, protest restrictions and discrimination.

The tournament, the largest in World Cup history with 48 teams, is scheduled to begin on June 11 at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca and conclude on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The United States will host the majority of the 104 matches, with 11 of the 16 host cities located there. Amnesty highlighted conditions in all three countries as undermining FIFA's pledge for an event where participants "feel safe, included and free to exercise their rights." The report emphasized that none of the published host city plans in the U.S. address protections against immigration operations during the event.

In the United States, Amnesty described ongoing...