Racism and Discrimination Raise Human Rights Concerns at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- Human Rights Research Center
- 32 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Author: Aamnah Fatima Khan
July 14, 2026
HRRC strongly condemns all forms of racism and discrimination at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and urges FIFA to protect victims, investigate such cases and hold those responsible accountable.
![Hossam Hassan's protest (left) gesture puts FIFA's anti-racism signal in focus. [Credit: Getty/the New Arab]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f05ed1_1451cdaaee0e43ac951379629d9c4f27~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_147,h_83,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_avif,quality_auto/f05ed1_1451cdaaee0e43ac951379629d9c4f27~mv2.jpeg)
The FIFA World Cup 2026 has been afflicted by multiple cases of racism, discrimination, xenophobia and online abuse, raising concerns about the protection of players, coaches and fans.
Among many, the most serious case is that of the French Captain, Kylian Mbappé. After France defeated Paraguay, Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla posted racist comments about Mbappe’s Cameroonian background, appearance, upbringing and education. Mbappe strongly condemned her remarks and said that she was unworthy of holding public office. Later, Amarilla deleted some of her posts and expressed regret. However, she also accused Mbappe of mistreating her and threatened legal action. Her comments were condemned by French President Emmanuel Macron, French officials, Real Madrid, UN Human Rights and Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After the complaint from the French Football Federation, French prosecutors opened an investigation into the case.
Argentinian supporters were also accused of violence and racist behaviour. Egyptian and Cape Verdean fans reported that some of the Argentinian supporters threw beer and bottles at them during the matches. Some fans also displayed Israeli flags towards Egypt’s coaching staff, which was seen as a political provocation because Egypt’s coach Hossan Hassan has publicly supported the Palestinian cause.
During Egypt and Argentina’s match, Hassan crossed his arms in an ”X” shape. FIFA introduced this gesture as an official signal for reporting racist abuse during matches. Some reports claimed Hassan used it after racist chants were directed at Egyptian players, while others linked it to his protests against refereeing decisions. The lack of a clear official explanation raised questions about how FIFA’s anti-racism protocol will be applied.
FIFA also opened an investigation after an Argentina supporter allegedly told Black American streamer IShowSpeed to “go cry at the zoo.”
Online racism has also been reported. FIFA identified more than 89,000 abusive social media posts during the tournament, with 11% involving racial abuse.
Reports have also emerged relating to the spread of misinformation online, including false reports that claimed that German supporters had started a petition to remove African and Muslim players from the national team after Germany’s elimination. Authorities and football organizations in Germany have said that such narratives are not based on facts but are being pushed through social media to create divisions and hostility. One fake video appeared to show Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman making racist remarks after Morocco eliminated the Netherlands.
Human Rights Watch has argued that FIFA’s responsibility goes beyond condemning individual racist attacks. It has criticised FIFA for not using its influence more effectively to address discriminatory immigration policies in the United States, where most World Cup matches are being played.
Each edition of the World Cup is presented as a celebration of unity between nations and cultures. However, the message loses its meaning when players and fans are subjected to racism and discrimination. Strong enforcement, public accountability and clear protection for victims are necessary if FIFA wants the tournament to reflect the values of equality, dignity and respect.
Glossary
Accused - a person or people who may be guilty of a crime and who are being judged in a court of law.
Allegedly - used when something illegal or wrong is said to have been done, but has not been proved.
Condemnation - to criticize something or someone strongly, usually for moral reasons.
Discrimination - treating a person or particular group of people differently, especially in a worse way from the way in which you treat other people, because of their race, gender, sexuality, etc.
Enforcement - the process of making people obey a law or rule, or making a particular situation happen or be accepted.
Hostility - an occasion when someone is unfriendly or shows that they do not like something.
Immigration - the act of someone coming to live in a different country.
Xenophobia - fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign.
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