Human Rights Violations Documented During Mexico 2026 World Cup

Civil‑society organisations reported that the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Mexico was accompanied by extensive human‑rights abuses. The Observatorio Mundialista de Derechos Humanos, a network of 88 groups operating in 23 Mexican states under the Red Nacional Todos los Derechos para Todas, Todos y Todes (Red TDT), documented 104 incidents of aggression and rights violations.

The abuses included arbitrary detentions, intimidation, censorship, torture and excessive force against protesters, journalists, human‑rights defenders, women, LGTBIQ+ people and migrant families. They were linked to government‑led image‑cleaning campaigns and security, mobility, urban‑order and social‑control operations for the tournament. Forced evictions were recorded in central Guadalajara and Mexico City, along with the removal of missing‑persons search cards and dozens of arbitrary arrests. The report also noted a rise in gender‑based violence, including femicides claimed to be driven by World Cup euphoria. In total, 63 events were logged, accounting for the 104 aggressions.