FIFA President Gianni Infantino Faces Pressure to Address Human Rights Ahead of 2026 World Cup

As the 76th FIFA Congress convenes in Vancouver, Canada, Amnesty International is calling on FIFA President Gianni Infantino to finally step up and detail how human rights will be safeguarded during the 2026 World Cup. The tournament, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is just weeks from kickoff, yet Infantino has remained silent on how FIFA plans to prevent the event from becoming a platform for authoritarian repression.

Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice, made the stakes clear: “It is time for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to finally tell us how human rights will be protected at the World Cup.” Cockburn emphasized that fans, journalists, and local communities face real dangers, including arbitrary detention, mass deportations, and crackdowns on free expression.

The urgency is heightened by the US’s brutal immigration enforcement record. In 2025 alone, 500,000 people were deported amid what Amnesty calls a nationwide human rights emergency. Reports suggest FIFA is still debating whether to urge President Trump to pause ICE raids during the World Cup, a move Cockburn says should be non-negotiable to protect everyone involved in the tournament.

Amnesty’s recent report highlights threats not just in the US but across all three host countries. Discrimination, restrictions on peaceful protest, and policies that undermine freedom of expression threaten to turn what should be a “safe, welcoming and inclusive” global event into a stage for repression.

FIFA’s silence on these issues risks complicity in abuses that contradict the spirit of sport and global unity. As the world watches, Infantino must use the FIFA Congress speech to make concrete commitments — not empty platitudes — ensuring the 2026 World Cup does not become yet another chapter in the ongoing assault on human rights.