Human Rights Watch warns 2026 World Cup could become human‑rights disaster

Human Rights Watch director Minky Worden said the 2026 FIFA World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, poses a "potential human‑rights catastrophe." She highlighted concerns over the role of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in stadium security, the lack of robust protections for minorities and LGBTQ‑people, and what she described as a broader culture‑war climate.

Worden criticized FIFA for failing to enforce its own human‑rights standards and called the awarding of a peace prize to former President Donald Trump a "form of corruption." While U.S. officials have pledged that ICE officers will not be stationed inside the venues, the exact security arrangements remain unclear, leaving activists fearing heightened scrutiny and possible rights violations during the tournament.