World Cup special: the business and human rights of the beautiful game
16 July 2026
Has the largest World Cup in history been a rights-respecting one?
As the tournament draws to a close this weekend, IHRB’s Salil Tripathi speaks to Mary Harvey, CEO of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights, and Minky Worden, Director of Global Initiatives at Human Rights Watch.
They discuss whether FIFA's human rights framework is being upheld in practice; what gaps remain unresolved since previous World Cups; the accountability gap between commitments made in the bidding process and what actually happens on the ground; as well as how corporate sponsors, broadcasters and financial institutions can use their leverage to influence host nations.
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Host: Deborah Sagoe, IHRB's Communications Coordinator
Producer & Editor: Helen Brown
Additional Contributors: Sam Simmons, IHRB's Head of Communications
