The World Is Worried About The World Cup

FIFA President Gianni Infantino shows U.S. President Donald Trump the World Cup Trophy in the Oval Office as Vice President JD Vance looks on, August 22, 2025 in Washington, DC.

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The FIFA World Cup, which begins on June 11, in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, is supposed to be a joyful celebration of global soccer, with, as FIFA President Gianni Infantino claims, “Tens of millions coming to the US from all over the world, just to feel the vibe.” But for many soccer fans, this year’s tournament “vibe” is entirely wrong: marred by the Trump administration’s abusive immigration policies.

In recent weeks, 21 US soccer fan groups—with names like the Atlanta Footie Mob, the Galactic Ambassadors from New Mexico, and the Minnesota Bucket Hat Brigade—endorsed a travel advisory warning visitors about risks in the US. The advisory, issued with the American Civil Liberties Union and dozens of other civil society groups, stated that the Trump administration’s “rising authoritarianism and increasing violence pose serious risks to all,” with “immigrant communities, racial and ethnic minority groups, and LGBTQ+ individuals” at particular risk.

The Footie Mob and the Bucket Hatters are not alone in their concerns. Diehard European soccer fans say they fear the Trump administration’s aggressively militarized immigration policies. Three Lions Pride, an English soccer fan group, said it would not have a visible presence at games in the US because of “the dangerous rollback of human rights” and have warned their members about the risks of travel.

No fan wants to end up in the back seat of an SUV operated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in a detention center, deported, or worse.

Since taking office in January 2025, Donald Trump has rolled out campaigns targeting immigrants, protesters, human rights defenders, transgender people, and civil society.

The world has seen how federal agents, often in masks, civilian clothes, and unmarked vehicles, have targeted communities of color and arbitrarily and sometimes violently detained people at their homes, in their vehicles, at courthouses, near schools, on streets, and in workplaces.

Our research at Human Rights Watch sheds light on risks to fans and workers at the tournament. Since the second Trump Administration, Human Rights Watch has documented racial profiling and excessive use of force in immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis and World Cup host city Los Angeles.

Analyzing official U.S. government data, we found that from January 20, 2025, to March 10, 2026, ICE arrested at least 167,000 people in the municipal areas of the 11 US World Cup host cities where matches will be played. Federal agents have killed two U.S. citizen protesters, while at least 19 people have died in immigration detention in 2026.

Last summer, ICE detained a soccer-fan father, an asylum seeker who brought his 10 and 14-year-old children to the FIFA Club World Cup final at New Jersey’s MetLife stadium, the site of this summer’s World Cup final. The man had used a recreational drone to take a family photo and was arrested by police, turned over to ICE, held for three months, before being deported. Instead of enjoying the soccer game, his children saw their father taken away in handcuffs.

Visiting soccer fans and reporters who protest against or publish opinions on social media about the Trump administration can be denied entry to the US. People already in the country who express political opinions that diverge from those of the current administration have been arbitrarily detained, and in some cases deported.

As part of its preparations for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA developed a Human Rights Framework that commits FIFA and host cities “to welcoming all individuals and communities…in an environment where they feel safe, included, and free to exercise their rights.”

But instead of advocating for the US government to curb its immigration crackdown, FIFA in December 2025 awarded President Trump the fawning “FIFA Peace Prize,” citing his “unwavering commitment to advancing peace and unity throughout the world.” Trump called it “one of the greatest honors of his life.”

Human Rights Watch wrote to FIFA on January 13 to clarify how it would address the risks that U.S. immigration enforcement and ICE activities at World Cup stadiums, fan zones, and in host cities could violate the human rights of fans, workers, community members, and other stakeholders. FIFA did not respond.

With the World Cup launching this week through July 19, FIFA should publicly press the U.S. government to immediately announce a World Cup “Ice Truce,” a commitment from the US government to refrain from immigration enforcement operations at all World Cup events, fan zones, and venues.

The World Cup is supposed to be a global festival of soccer, not a cause for fan anxiety about abusive US immigration arrests and detention. FIFA should act now to protect fans from the Trump administration’s cruel policies. Instead of opening its doors to the world, the US is warning visitors that they are at risk if they dare come.