Berlin (dpa) - Human Rights Watch sees the World Cup in the United States, Mexico, and Canada in June and July as "a potential human rights disaster."

The organization's director Minky Worden told news portal ntv.de that the tournament should be guided by a human rights framework.

"But I can definitely say that while the World Cup may still be the biggest, it will not be the best in terms of human rights," he said.

According to Worden, the World Cup is shrouded in an incredible amount of uncertainty due to the controversial US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which could be responsible for enforcing security measures during the event.

"ICE, a kind of paramilitary police force, pursues brutal, inhumane policies, even against people who have the right to remain in the United States," she said.

It remains unclear, however, which role ICE will play. Most recently, Rodney Barreto, Miami's deputy chief of staff, emphasized that he had received assurances from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that there would be no ICE agents in the stadium during World Cup matches.

According to Worden, however, US President Donald Trump's culture war is still playing out at the World Cup.

Form of corruption

"Take, for example, the lack of human rights measures in the host cities. They are supposed to ensure the protection of minorities and vulnerable groups, including LGBT groups. But of the four action plans published in the US, only Atlanta's mentions LGBT rights," she said.

She added that the awarding of FIFA's Peace Prize to Trump is a "form of corruption."

"It's a fabrication designed to flatter a man who stands not for peace, but for the violent oppression of US citizens, bombings outside the country's borders and wars abroad."

Author: araújo.nathalia

Human Rights Watch: 2026 World Cup 'potential human rights disaster'

araújo.nathalia