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Ahead of this a year World CupAmnesty International has warned that millions of fans attending the tournament are at risk of human rights abuses, particularly in the United States. The organization added that the tournament, which will also be held in Mexico and Canada, could take place amid restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
In a report entitled “Something Worth Winning: Protecting Rights, Combating Oppression at the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” Amnesty describes a number of risks faced by fans, players, local communities, and journalists attending the tournament in the three host countries.
In the US, where three-quarters of the World Cup matches will be played, the report finds that there is a “human rights risk” characterized by racial profiling and mass detention by agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
The organization wrote: “This World Cup is a far cry from the ‘medium-threat’ tournament that FIFA once thought it was. “The excitement that fans hope to experience during a six-week football festival is overshadowed by violent arrests, detentions,” and other atrocities.
Earlier this year, former ICE director Todd Lyons he said ICE can be “an important part“Security during the World Cup.” Since then, the scope of ICE’s work has not been clearly defined. But in May, officials from the Department of Defense he told NBC News that ICE is handing over its staff to police departments to assist with World Cup security.
A report by Amnesty International shows that the authorities in Mexico have announced that they will send about 100,000 troops, including the army, in order to deal with more violence. According to Amnesty, this decision increases the risk for those who demonstrate, including the movement of they are looking for women who have organized a peaceful protest near the Banorte Stadium (formerly Azteca Stadium) in Mexico City in order to demand the destruction of 133,500 people in the country. The project is expected to be combined with other incentives for competition, linked to access to land, water, housing, and criticism of gentrification.
In Canada, the report says, there are fears that the country’s housing crisis will result in more homeless people being displaced in cities like Toronto after World Cup events.
When Amnesty released its report in March, the organization said only four of the 16 cities it surveyed had published plans to protect human rights at competitions. It recommended that host cities refrain from using the military in civilian security operations and stressed that governments should ensure that World Cup events and venues are free from immigration.
This article appeared first WIRED in Spanish and translated from Spanish.
