FIFA crisis underscores urgent need for reforms: Global sports rights coalition

FIFA’s current governance crisis highlights the urgent need for systemic reforms and transparent mechanisms to protect human rights, the Sport & Rights Alliance said Thursday.

The global coalition of human rights groups and trade unions said the withdrawal of FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s controversial FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal should be followed by measures addressing deeper problems within world football’s governing body.

“The person who leads FIFA matters a great deal, but the bigger problem is systemic. The landscape for human rights, transparency and good governance will not improve if FIFA’s structures are not addressed,” said Andrea Florence, executive director of the alliance.

“This crisis must spur long-overdue reforms to finally embed human rights protections at the heart of world football. Only a systemic transformation that addresses the many abuses linked to FIFA’s operations will prevent history repeating itself,” she added.

The comments came amid mounting pressure on Infantino following the collapse of a plan to sell a stake in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup, to private investors.

The coalition also accused FIFA of failing to meet its human rights commitments during the 2026 World Cup.

“Contrary to Gianni Infantino’s social media statements, the largest, ‘most inclusive’ World Cup in history saw many human rights abuses and significant sportswashing,” it said.

The coalition said this was unsurprising given Infantino’s close relationship with US President Donald Trump, whom he awarded the newly created FIFA Peace Prize without, according to the coalition, any publicly disclosed criteria or selection process.

5 proposed steps for FIFA reform

The Sport & Rights Alliance called on FIFA and its member associations to pursue systemic transformation to ensure accountability for human rights and good governance.

Its first proposal calls for restoring a permanent, independent Human Rights Advisory Board to hold FIFA’s leadership and the FIFA Council accountable.

The second seeks an independent and transparent ethics system staffed by qualified experts and equipped with trauma-informed complaint procedures.

A third recommends a time-bound Human Rights Strategy developed through continued engagement with potentially affected stakeholders.

The fourth calls for binding human rights commitments in future host agreements and a remedy fund covering the 2022 Qatar World Cup and future tournaments.

The final proposal urges FIFA to restore public accountability through regular press conferences involving its leadership and meaningful engagement with journalists.