As the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America approaches, the global soccer body is rolling out a new human rights protocol, mandating host committees across 16 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to develop action plans to safeguard human rights. However, with less than a year until the tournament, skepticism is mounting among advocates who fear FIFA’s commitment may fall short of its promises.
FIFA’s new framework, developed with input from the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, aims to address issues like nondiscrimination, human trafficking, workers’ rights, and protections for unhoused people. Unlike past World Cups in Qatar (2022) and the upcoming 2034 event in Saudi Arabia, where migrant worker exploitation drew global criticism, North America’s challenges center on immigration enforcement, wage theft, and policies targeting unhoused populations.
Yet, advocates argue FIFA diluted a stronger model for these plans, leaving them unenforceable. “It’s unprecedented for a sports body to have such a framework, but it’s not self-executing,” said Jennifer Li, director of the O’Neill Institute’s Center for Community Health Innovation at Georgetown Law and coordinator of the Dignity 2026 Coalition.
Several U.S. host committees missed a March deadline for draft plans, raising concerns about preparedness. FIFA insists all 16 host cities—11 in the U.S., including Atlanta, Dallas, and Miami—are on track for the August 29 final submission. “Host communities are invested in their legacy,” said labor rights expert Deborah Greenfield, part of FIFA’s advisory group.
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Local tensions are escalating. In the U.S., President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration policies, including a June travel ban on 12 countries, have sparked fears of arrests of workers and travelers during the games. FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s ties to Trump have drawn scrutiny, with a FIFA spokesperson claiming collaboration with a White House task force to unite diverse communities. In Miami-Dade County, protests erupted in June outside FIFA’s offices after a Club World Cup event was canceled following a Coast Guard inspection involving Border Patrol. “There’s no guarantee ICE won’t be at the World Cup,” said Jeff Mitchell, South Florida AFL-CIO President, citing Florida’s weak labor protections and history of wage theft.
Advocates also worry about policies targeting unhoused populations. Atlanta’s “Downtown Rising” plan, part of broader efforts to reduce homelessness, echoes the 1996 Olympics, when over 9,000 unhoused people were arrested. Atlanta officials insist the goal is housing, not incarceration. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom’s May directive to ban encampments, coupled with San Jose’s policy allowing arrests after three refused shelter offers, has raised alarms. “This rush to hide poverty isn’t about human rights,” said Dr. Mark Spencer, an Atlanta physician and advocate.
FIFA’s 2017 human rights policy, aligned with UN principles, was hailed as a step forward, but critics, including the Dignity 2026 Coalition, demand a public, enforceable framework. A May complaint by international lawyers accused FIFA of failing to uphold these standards for the 2034 Saudi Arabia World Cup. In North America, cities like Seattle have signed labor agreements, and Atlanta is developing anti-trafficking measures and accessibility tools. Still, advocates like Minky Worden of Human Rights Watch warn that without concrete action, FIFA’s promises risk being “empty.”
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