Pinned post
From Putinâs World Cup to the fake âFIFA Peace Prizeâ to the reversed US red card suspension, a thread on FIFA President Gianni Infantino caving to pressure, breaking @FIFAcomâs own rules and betraying #HumanRights to accommodate autocrats:
đ§ľâ¨1. In 2013, FIFA secretary general JĂŠrĂ´me Valcke explained how the governing body of world football picks #WorldCup hosts: "Less democracy is sometimes better for organizing a World Cup... a very strong head of state who can decide, as maybe Putin can do in 2018... that is easier for us organizers."
Valckeâs strategy of cozying up to rights abusers outlived his tenure at FIFA:
forbes.com/sites/minkyworâŚ
2. The 2018 Russia World Cup was a vehicle for Vladimir Putin to project prestige while waging a massive crackdown on civil society and #LGBT people. FIFA had just published a landmark Human Rights Policy. The St Petersburg Stadium was built by forced laborers from North Korea, at least one of whom died. hrw.org/news/2018/07/1âŚ. And @Josimarâs âThe Slaves of St Petersburgâ
3. Qatar 2022 was FIFA's most lucrative World Cup everâand its deadliest. Migrant workers built $220 billion in stadiums and infrastructure, and thousands died preventable deaths. FIFA's own human rights committee concluded FIFA had "a responsibility" to compensate workers. FIFA shamefully reneged on plans to compensate families under pressure from Qatar, whose Airways reportedly supplies Gianni Infantinoâs private jet.
hrw.org/news/2021/12/1âŚ
4. FIFA's rules require human rights due diligence and rightsholders consultation before awarding a World Cup. For #SaudiArabia 2034, Gianni Infantino oversaw a scheme that effectively eliminated bidding+human rights due diligence, engineering a "sole bid"+handing the tournament to Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman.
hrw.org/news/2023/10/2âŚ
5. At the 2025 US Club World Cup, FIFA obsequiously canceled its own anti-racism+anti-discrimination campaigns, in apparent deference to Trumpâs anti-DEI policies. Homophobic chants followed in Atlanta. Infantino claimed there were "no incidents." FIFA had received 145+ human rights complaints. hrw.org/news/2025/07/0âŚ
6. Gianni Infantino concocted a "FIFA Peace Prizeâ for Donald Trump. Human Rights Watch wrote to FIFA to ask:
âwho were the nominees?
âwhat was the process?
âwho were the judges?
âwhat were the criteria?
nytimes.com/athletic/68522âŚ
We got no answer. FIFA's Peace Prize was cravenly created for a president disappointed he didn't win the real one: newsweek.com/fifas-sportswaâŚ
7. As preparations for the 2026 World Cup advanced, US federal agents killed two Americans in Minneapolis. An asylum seeker took his children to the 2025 Club World Cup finalâand was deported. @HRW documented that from Trumpâs inauguration to March 2026, ICE arrested at least 167,000 people in the 11 US World Cup host cities. FIFA did not use its leverage to mitigate the US immigration crisis: hrw.org/news/2026/04/1âŚ.
8. Ten African nations qualified for the World Cup but Trump imposed bans on travel to the US for citizens from 39 countries, including 26 in Africa. Many African fans, journalists+family members were banned or had to post âvisa bondsâ of up to $15,000. FIFAâs response was to side with Trump. @HRWâs @VincentSimaOle: mg.co.za/thought-leaderâŚ
9. As World Cup preparations advanced in the US, Trump Administration ICE deaths surged. FIFAâs weak response to the US governmentâs cruel immigration crackdown squandered an opportunity to make it less deadly. hrw.org/news/2026/06/2âŚ
10. The world should have been welcome at the 2026 FIFA World Cup; but from banning Somali referee Omar Artan to denying Iranian women fans visas, FIFA failed to defend affected people from Trumpâs exclusionary policies:
hrw.org/news/2026/06/0âŚ
11. FIFA needs fundamental change if it is to meaningfully protect the rights of fans, workers, journalists and athletes. The beautiful game deserves better than partnerships with ugly autocrats: newsweek.com/beautiful-gameâŚ
đ§ľâ¨1. In 2013, FIFA secretary general JĂŠrĂ´me Valcke explained how the governing body of world football picks #WorldCup hosts: "Less democracy is sometimes better for organizing a World Cup... a very strong head of state who can decide, as maybe Putin can do in 2018... that is easier for us organizers."
Valckeâs strategy of cozying up to rights abusers outlived his tenure at FIFA:
forbes.com/sites/minkyworâŚ
2. The 2018 Russia World Cup was a vehicle for Vladimir Putin to project prestige while waging a massive crackdown on civil society and #LGBT people. FIFA had just published a landmark Human Rights Policy. The St Petersburg Stadium was built by forced laborers from North Korea, at least one of whom died. hrw.org/news/2018/07/1âŚ. And @Josimarâs âThe Slaves of St Petersburgâ
3. Qatar 2022 was FIFA's most lucrative World Cup everâand its deadliest. Migrant workers built $220 billion in stadiums and infrastructure, and thousands died preventable deaths. FIFA's own human rights committee concluded FIFA had "a responsibility" to compensate workers. FIFA shamefully reneged on plans to compensate families under pressure from Qatar, whose Airways reportedly supplies Gianni Infantinoâs private jet.
hrw.org/news/2021/12/1âŚ
4. FIFA's rules require human rights due diligence and rightsholders consultation before awarding a World Cup. For #SaudiArabia 2034, Gianni Infantino oversaw a scheme that effectively eliminated bidding+human rights due diligence, engineering a "sole bid"+handing the tournament to Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman.
hrw.org/news/2023/10/2âŚ
5. At the 2025 US Club World Cup, FIFA obsequiously canceled its own anti-racism+anti-discrimination campaigns, in apparent deference to Trumpâs anti-DEI policies. Homophobic chants followed in Atlanta. Infantino claimed there were "no incidents." FIFA had received 145+ human rights complaints. hrw.org/news/2025/07/0âŚ
6. Gianni Infantino concocted a "FIFA Peace Prizeâ for Donald Trump. Human Rights Watch wrote to FIFA to ask:
âwho were the nominees?
âwhat was the process?
âwho were the judges?
âwhat were the criteria?
nytimes.com/athletic/68522âŚ
We got no answer. FIFA's Peace Prize was cravenly created for a president disappointed he didn't win the real one: newsweek.com/fifas-sportswaâŚ
7. As preparations for the 2026 World Cup advanced, US federal agents killed two Americans in Minneapolis. An asylum seeker took his children to the 2025 Club World Cup finalâand was deported. @HRW documented that from Trumpâs inauguration to March 2026, ICE arrested at least 167,000 people in the 11 US World Cup host cities. FIFA did not use its leverage to mitigate the US immigration crisis: hrw.org/news/2026/04/1âŚ.
8. Ten African nations qualified for the World Cup but Trump imposed bans on travel to the US for citizens from 39 countries, including 26 in Africa. Many African fans, journalists+family members were banned or had to post âvisa bondsâ of up to $15,000. FIFAâs response was to side with Trump. @HRWâs @VincentSimaOle: mg.co.za/thought-leaderâŚ
9. As World Cup preparations advanced in the US, Trump Administration ICE deaths surged. FIFAâs weak response to the US governmentâs cruel immigration crackdown squandered an opportunity to make it less deadly. hrw.org/news/2026/06/2âŚ
10. The world should have been welcome at the 2026 FIFA World Cup; but from banning Somali referee Omar Artan to denying Iranian women fans visas, FIFA failed to defend affected people from Trumpâs exclusionary policies:
hrw.org/news/2026/06/0âŚ
11. FIFA needs fundamental change if it is to meaningfully protect the rights of fans, workers, journalists and athletes. The beautiful game deserves better than partnerships with ugly autocrats: newsweek.com/beautiful-gameâŚ
