Overview

• More than 80 civil rights and labor organizations, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the ACLU and the NAACP, delivered an open letter to FIFA president Gianni Infantino on July 1.
• The letter urges FIFA to leverage Infantino’s relationship with President Trump to secure entry guarantees for the projected 2.6 million foreign visitors to the 2026 World Cup.
• It cites President Trump’s executive order barring nationals of 12 countries and recent ICE raids in communities set to host tournament matches.
• FIFA has reiterated general assurances of open access but has not publicly challenged U.S. immigration measures, leaving signatories awaiting a substantive response.
• Advocates warn that FIFA’s silence on these policies risks undermining its human rights commitments and tarnishing its global reputation.