U.S. Global Lawlessness and Security Concerns for Non-White Nations and Their Fans Intensifies Concerns that the U.S. is Not Appropriate Venue to Host World Cup
For Immediate Release
Contact:communications@blackallianceforpeace.com
(201) 292-4591
On April 6th, the Anti Fascist Football Coalition, a group of grassroots organizations in the three World Cup host countries – the U.S., Mexico, and Canada – delivered a petition to FIFA (signed by prominent individuals and organizations from every part of the planet) asking that FIFA and the International Olympic Committee demonstrate their stated positions on universal human rights and, as such, ban the United States and Israel from hosting or participating in international sporting events.
The Coalition is collaborating to implement shared strategies to demand that FIFA immediately remove the 2026 World Cup matches from the United States and also calls on the international community to boycott the U.S. as a host nation for international sporting events.
Prior actions by the Coalition, including additional communications to FIFA, highlight the hypocrisy of their so-called “human rights statutes” when, historically, qualifying countries have been banned from participation in the Games for far less, such as the disqualification of Mexico in 1994 for incorrect paperwork. And yet, FIFA continues its shameless complicity with the U.S. agenda of global domination, no matter the cost of human and environmental life.
Brianna Alvarado Ramos, representing Diaspora Pa’lante Collective in the Anti Fascist Football Coalition, states that “The disqualification of the U.S. as both a host and participant is the bare minimum when we look at the U.S. warpath of barbaric and lawless acts of violence, repression, and genocide domestically and abroad – from the escalating economic strangulation of Cuba, the attacks on Venezuela and the kidnapping of its President, the ongoing U.S. occupation of Haiti, its brutal war on Iran, the subjugation and genocide of Palestinians, as well as the murder of working class people in the U.S. through both physical militarized forces and economic warfare.”
The past weeks have seen a clear build in momentum, internationally, with the demands to move the 2026 World Cup Games from the U.S. and hold FIFA accountable for its unwavering complicity in U.S. repression, lawlessness, escalating violence, and normalization of genocide. Dutch groups have collected nearly 200,000 signatories supporting their call to “Boycott the Trump World Cup.” Germany’s Fairness United is circulating their campaign and petition to “Love Football/Hate Fascism” with serious considerations to boycott matches held in the U.S. And after the Trump administration openly disparaged Spain for its opposition to the US-Israeli war on Iran, the Spanish government announced on March 3 that its national team’s withdrawal from World Cup participation is under consideration.
These actions echo the calls from several other countries including Sweden, France, Switzerland, and, of course, Iran, where the Trump administration openly threatened the safety of their players should they choose to travel to and compete in the U.S..
The evidence as to why the World Cup Games must not be held in the U.S. continues to grow and there is nothing covert about the agenda of the U.S.state to use these mega events as direct pathways for militarized entities to further disappear and neutralize colonized and oppressed populations – not just those living in the U.S., but also for international fans and players hoping to attend the matches. Just recently in Dallas, Texas, Iraqi football fans were physically and verbally harassed with threats to call ICE. In response, a countless number of fans reiterated that the U.S. is dangerous for anyone attending the Games.
The Coalition will continue to build resistance to FIFA’s complicity of U.S. lawlessness and genocide and invites the public to join in the Coalition’s Campaign to Boycott the World Cup and Boycott the U.S. at bit.ly/EndorseNow and learn more at https://peoplescenteredhumanrights.com/move-the-games/.
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