Is the 2026 World Cup at risk? FIFA President Infantino urged to confront Donald Trump

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has come under pressure from more than 90 civil society groups to intervene with Donald Trump as concerns mount over immigration policy ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the United States.

Soccer fans concerned over immigration measures before 2026 World Cup

With Trump pushing hardline immigration measures in his return to the White House, advocates fear that the U.S. may become a hostile environment for the millions of international fans expected to travel to the country for the tournament. According to The Athletic, a coalition of human rights organizations has written a letter to Infantino, urging him to use his influence with the Trump administration to safeguard both foreign visitors and immigrant communities already living in host cities.

The letter, which expresses “deep concern” over mass deportations and aggressive immigration enforcement, calls on FIFA to pressure the U.S. government to uphold fundamental rights in the lead-up to the 2026 tournament, which the U.S. is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada.

Gianni Infantino’s relationship with Donald Trump

Infantino’s relationship with Trump has drawn scrutiny in the past. He attended Trump’s second inauguration and even joined him on investment-focused trips to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Now, civil rights groups want the FIFA chief to leverage that connection for a very different purpose.

FIFA asked to use U.S. government influence

“We ask FIFA to use its influence to urge the U.S. government to guarantee the fundamental rights of the millions of foreign fans expected to attend these tournaments, as well as the constitutional rights of the many immigrants who already live, work, and contribute to the cities selected to host them,” the letter reads.

The list of signatories includes prominent international and U.S.-based organizations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the ACLU, and the NAACP. Labor unions from across several World Cup host states—New York, Florida, Georgia, California, Texas, Massachusetts, Missouri, and Pennsylvania—also signed on.

Dated July 1, the letter wasn’t just sent to FIFA’s top brass. Copies were also addressed to influential insiders with ties to both FIFA and U.S. Soccer, including former U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro, now an advisor to Infantino; FIFA COO Colin Smith; Heimo Schirgi, the organization’s World Cup operations director; Amy Hopfinger, director of strategy; Alex Sopko, head of government relations; and Matthew Mullen, FIFA’s director of human rights for the 2026 World Cup.

Foreign governments issue travel advisories

The letter cites widespread fear and uncertainty stemming from what it calls “abusive” immigration enforcement actions by ICE and tightened border restrictions. It also notes that several foreign governments have already issued travel advisories, warning citizens about the risk of being denied entry—or even detained and deported—while visiting the U.S.

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