Past World Cups, especially in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022, exposed serious human rights abuses — particularly involving migrant workers — prompting FIFA to promise reform.
The 2026 tournament, with the United States as the main host, was meant to set a new standard with a human rights framework and a more inclusive model. But US President Donald Trump's hard-line immigration policies have once again cast a shadow over the world's biggest sporting even t— raising fresh concerns about human rights, with FIFA's decision-making in question once again.
As millions travel to North America and billions prepare to watch on television across the world, Minky Worden, director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch, discusses the politics of the World Cup with DW.