FIFA faces allegations of obstructing a workers' rights inspection at a site designated for the 2026 men's World Cup in Mexico.
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The Building and Wood Workers' Union (BWI) says its representatives were due to assess the workers' conditions at Mexico's Estadio Azteca — which is being renovated ahead of next summer's tournament — in a planned visit but were denied access.
BWI is a global trade union which, according to its website, represents more than 12 million building and construction workers and has conducted "numerous" labor inspections at Olympic Games and World Cup sites.
In a press release on Tuesday, the BWI says that FIFA has withdrawn from its commitments to allow independent inspections, despite having an agreement in place for the 2022 men's World Cup in Qatar. This, the BWI adds, raises "serious concerns about its human rights obligations and its responsibility to prevent exploitation in World Cup-related infrastructure projects."
The BWI says that because of FIFA's refusal to guarantee its inspections "there is virtually no scrutiny of labour rights at Mexico's World Cup sites."
In response to the BWI's accusations, FIFA said in a statement to The Athletic that, "The Azteca Stadium and its construction process is not managed by FIFA."
FIFA added that "through its local team and in close cooperation with the Azteca Stadium, (FIFA) is actively engaging with stakeholders and monitoring the conditions offered to the workers."
The Athletic has reached out to CATEM, a local union, for comment.
The BWI says that it had an agreement with FIFA over providing inspections for the North American World Cup sites, including in Mexico, but world football's governing body stepped away before signing.
"FIFA keeps promising the world a spectacle while dodging its responsibility to the very workers making it possible," Ambet Yuson, BWI general secretary, said in a release. "FIFA's President Gianni Infantino has no problem appearing in photo ops with the U.S. President, yet FIFA can't even guarantee basic protections for workers building its own World Cup show.
"If FIFA can organize multimillion-dollar sponsorships and VIP experiences, surely it can ensure workers have decent wages and safe conditions.
"They learned nothing from Qatar and Russia. No more excuses. No more delays. FIFA must act now, or North America 2026 FIFA World Cup will be another case of broken promises and neglected workers."
The BWI also points to the fact that an independent report commissioned by FIFA in the wake of the Qatar World Cup found that workers' rights were impinged in the build-up to the tournament. That report, published in November 2024, said that FIFA had "a responsibility" to compensate workers who suffered during Qatar's hosting of the World Cup. The report also noted that "a number of severe human rights impacts did ultimately occur in Qatar from 2010 through 2022" for some workers connected to the tournament.
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The BWI previously alleged "human rights violations of migrant workers" by FIFA in relation to "the construction of facilities for the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar" back in 2015. Two years later, after a mediation process by the National Contact Point of Switzerland (Swiss NCP), FIFA accepted "its responsibility to mitigate risks by aiming to build and exercise its leverage whenever possible with all relevant actors in Qatar to contribute to ensuring decent and safe working conditions for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar stadiums construction workers", according to a statement from the Swiss NCP.
In October, the BWI said that FIFA was "ignoring forced labour and wage theft" in its awarding of the 2034 World Cup to Saudi Arabia and called the decision a "global endorsement of exploitation."
FIFA has indicated that it does not manage the construction of the Azteca Stadium. The organization emphasized, "In alignment with its Human Rights Policy, FIFA is dedicated to upholding and promoting the highest international labor standards, ensuring that the rights of workers engaged in activities directly associated with its operations are safeguarded."
FIFA is working closely with its local team and the Azteca Stadium to interact with stakeholders and oversee the working conditions for employees. This effort includes monitoring labor rights protections on-site by the local union, the Confederación Autónoma de Trabajadores y Empleados de México (CATEM).
Furthermore, efforts to ensure adherence to labor standards involve collaboration with the Mexican Chamber of the Construction Industry (CMIC). FIFA places significant importance on workers' rights and compliance with both national and international labor regulations. The organization will maintain close communication with its Mexican office and partners regarding these matters.
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