October 14: The Sports & Rights Alliance (SRA) has accused FIFA of failing to implement its own human rights policies, prioritizing research or profit and maximizing revenue at the World Cup and excluding fans.
In a new report ‘Profit of People’, the NGO said that while FIFA integrated human rights criteria into its bidding process and host cities were technically subject to the FWC26 Human Rights Framework, FIFA’s priorities lay elsewhere. On the eve of the final, FIFA chief Gianni Infantino said the 2026 World Cup had generated a record $15 billion in revenue, but the tournament, SRA noted, was played in a “climate of fear” and served as a PR exercise for US President Donald Trump.
“The 2026 World Cup exposed how the priorities and direction set by FIFA’s leadership put profits above people,” said Andreas Florence, executive director of the Sport & Rights Alliance.
“For all those affected by the tournament, access and participation were limited by economic status, nationality, immigration status, disability, gender identity and sexual orientation or political circumstances. Not only did FIFA fail to use its influence to meet human rights obligations, it chose to install a government that actively violates human rights by awarding a ‘FIFA Peace Prize’, Donald Trump, without investigation.”
The report also points to the woeful treatment of fans, who faced sky-high ticket prices for the tournament and difficulties entering the United States under Trump’s repressive visa policies, which disproportionately target the Global South. The Iranian team had to move its base camp to Mexico at the last minute and top Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the United States.
“Supporters were treated as objects to be exploited rather than the heart of the game,” said Ronan Evain, chief executive of Football Supporters Europe.
“When ticket prices are the highest in World Cup history, legal accessibility requirements for disabled fans are ignored, and dedicated fans face discriminatory visa refusals or militarized border enforcement, you no longer have a global celebration, just an exclusive, sanitized spectacle intended only for the elite.”
The SRA said that “FIFA clearly needs systemic governance reform that embeds human rights and good governance in leadership and decision-making structures, provides an independent system of checks and balances and ensures meaningful accountability when its commitments are not met.”
FIFA has been contacted for comment.
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