Sport & Rights Alliance
Brussels NGO monitoring human rights at major sporting events including the 2026 World Cup.
Last refreshed: 11 May 2026
Is Sport & Rights Alliance getting any traction with host cities that won't publish rights plans?
Timeline for Sport & Rights Alliance
Twelve host cities silent at the HRW deadline
2026 FIFA World CupMentioned in: ICE director confirms Cup security role
2026 FIFA World Cup- What is Sport & Rights Alliance?
- Sport & Rights Alliance is a Brussels-based NGO that advocates for human rights standards in international sport, including athlete rights, worker conditions and civil society access at major events like the FIFA World Cup.
- Which World Cup host cities published human rights plans?
- By HRW's 11 May 2026 deadline, only four of sixteen host cities had published Human Rights Action Plans: Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and Vancouver. The remaining twelve — including Boston, New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Philadelphia — had published nothing.Source: Human Rights Watch
- What is the Sport & Rights Alliance?
- Sport & Rights Alliance is a Brussels-based NGO monitoring human rights in international sport. It focuses on athlete rights, workers at events, and civil society access at major tournaments. It is part of the Coalition calling on 2026 World Cup host cities to publish human rights plans.
- What has Sport & Rights Alliance said about the 2026 World Cup?
- Sport & Rights Alliance joined HRW and others in noting that 12 of 16 host city committees had not published human rights action plans by the 11 May 2026 deadline. It has also focused on migrant visa conditions and ICE's role in World Cup security.Source: Lowdown
- Which civil society groups are monitoring the 2026 World Cup human rights?
- Human Rights Watch, Sport & Rights Alliance, Football Supporters Europe, Amnesty International, and Euroconsumers are the main civil society organisations monitoring 2026 World Cup human rights commitments from FIFA and host cities.
Background
Sport & Rights Alliance is a Brussels-based NGO that monitors human rights issues in international sport, advocating for athlete rights, workers at sporting events and civil society access at major tournaments. It appeared in 2026 World Cup coverage in two contexts: in early 2026 as part of broader civil society scrutiny of ICE's role in World Cup security, and by the 11 May 2026 HRW deadline as part of the Coalition of rights organisations noting that 12 of 16 World Cup host cities had published no Human Rights Action Plans.
The Alliance works alongside organisations including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Football Supporters Europe on tournament-related rights campaigns. In the 2026 cycle it has focused on worker rights, migrant visa conditions and access for civil society groups at US, Canadian and Mexican venues.