Human Rights Watch warned Monday that the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup risks unfolding against a backdrop of abusive immigration enforcement, threats to media freedom, and discrimination, releasing a 79-page reporter’s guide documenting human rights conditions across all three host countries ahead of the tournament’s June 11 opening.
The guide, titled “Reporter’s Guide for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States,” details what HRW described as FIFA’s failure to meet human rights commitments made during the original bid process and the specific risks that US government policies pose to journalists, fans, players, and immigrant communities in the 11 American host cities. Minky Worden, HRW’s director of global initiatives, said the tournament risks being defined by exclusion and fear rather than the inclusive version FIFA promised.
HRW called on FIFA to press the Trump administration to establish an “ICE Truce,” a public guarantee from federal authorities to refrain from immigration enforcement operations at games and venues during the tournament. The organization cited data obtained through a freedom of information request showing that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested at least 167,000 people in and around the 11 US host cities between January 20 and March 10, 2025. HRW warned that individuals perceived as immigrants based on skin color, spoken language, or place of work face particular risk.
The report highlighted threats to media freedom in the US. HRW cited the case of Mario Guevara, an Emmy-winning journalist arrested in Atlanta (a World Cup host city) in June 2025 while reportedly filming a political protest, who was transferred to ICE custody and deported to El Salvador. In March 2026, journalist Estefany Rodriguez, who had been covering ICE immigration raids, was reportedly arrested without officers presenting a warrant. HRW has documented instances of US officers firing tear gas, pepper balls, and flash-bang grenades at protesters and journalists.
HRW also criticized FIFA for awarding President Trump the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize in December 2025, calling it a sportswashing exercise. The organization said all but one of the World Cup host city committees have failed to present the human rights action plans FIFA promised, or have produced plans that ignore key risks, including immigration enforcement and threats to press freedom.
Mexico, which will host matches in Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Monterrey, remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. The press freedom organization Article 19 reported that seven journalists were killed in the country in 2025, with impunity for such killings remaining the norm. HRW noted that FIFA has not addressed direct risks to journalists working in Mexico’s host cities, including those covering possible intersections between football and organized crime.
HRW wrote to FIFA President Gianni Infantino on April 6 with detailed questions about media freedom protections, including whether FIFA has established protocols to respond if journalists are detained, deported, or denied entry. FIFA responded that it has mechanisms in place to address human rights or safeguarding-related incidents involving journalists, without providing specific details.
