FIFA should pressure the US government to establish an ‘ICE truce’ for this year’s World Cup, including a public guarantee from federal authorities to refrain from immigration enforcement operations at matches and venues, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report published on Monday.
FIFA World Cup 2026 – the first edition of the 48-team global showpiece – will be jointly hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been the face of President Donald Trump’s administration’s heavy-handed immigration and deportation policies.
Rights groups have condemned the crackdown, saying it has led to violations of freedom of expression and due process rights and created an unsafe environment, especially for minorities. Trump calls his actions necessary to improve homeland security and curb illegal immigration.
«FIFA must act urgently to address the risks of human rights abuses for athletes, fans and employees. One concrete thing it must do is convince the Trump administration to establish an ‘ICE truce,'» HRW said.
«Gianni Infantino (FIFA President) and his FIFA colleagues must use their influence to demand that the Trump administration do what is right for the Games. Roll back discriminatory travel bans, refrain from abusive immigration enforcement operations in and around World Cup venues, protect the rights of children and commit to upholding freedom of assembly and expression,» it added.
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The idea is borrowed from the ‘Olympic Truce’, a tradition dating back to ancient Greece, when warring city-states halted hostilities so athletes and spectators could travel safely to the Games.
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“The 2026 World Cup will undoubtedly be one of the largest and most spectacular events in human history, drawing millions of fans from around the world to eleven host cities across America,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said. Reuters.
«This will be a monumental event that will require close coordination between the Trump Administration, FIFA and all of our major federal, state and local partners. President Trump wants to ensure that this is not only an incredible experience for all fans and attendees, but also the safest in history – and no amount of ridiculous scare tactics driven by liberal activist groups and the left-wing media will change that,» he added.
Concerns mounted on Thursday when advocacy groups issued a travel advisory warning that visitors traveling to the US for the World Cup could face arbitrary detention or deportation, among other human rights abuses.
Fans, players, journalists and other visitors could face racial profiling, searches of electronic devices or risk cruel or inhumane treatment if they end up in immigration detention centers, the advisory said.
Thursday’s warnings followed a statement from Amnesty International in March that the tournament is far from the «safe, free and inclusive» event promised by FIFA. HRW also said it had written to Infantino requesting details of the nominees, jury members, terms of reference and selection process for FIFA’s inaugural peace prize.
Trump received the award in December for what world soccer’s global governing body said were his efforts to promote dialogue and de-escalation in troubled hotspots around the world.
“By creating this award, Infantino risks turning the 2026 World Cup into yet another sportswashing event in a world that already has far too many,” HRW added.
Published on April 27, 2026
