FIFA is under fire after having been accused of preventing labor inspectors from evaluating working conditions at Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium, a venue currently undergoing renovations for the 2026 World Cup, The Guardian reported.
The Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), a global trade union, claimed that FIFA blocked an inspection slated for Monday. BWI representatives arrived at the 80,000-seat stadium but were denied entry, the union said.
BWI officials allege that FIFA is reneging on an earlier commitment to allow joint labor inspections across all three host nations for the 2026 World Cup—Mexico, the United States, and Canada. The union argues that Mexico’s World Cup projects have received little oversight, calling the situation one of “systemic opacity.”
BWI General Secretary Ambet Yuson strongly criticized FIFA President Gianni Infantino, accusing him of prioritizing political appearances over worker protections.
“FIFA keeps promising the world a spectacle while dodging its responsibility to the very workers making it possible,” Yuson was quoted as saying by The Guardian. “They learned nothing from Qatar and Russia. No more excuses. No more delays.”
The accusations echo concerns raised about past World Cups, particularly the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where FIFA faced global scrutiny over human rights abuses related to stadium construction. A FIFA committee acknowledged in December that the organization may have contributed to “severe human rights impacts” in the lead-up to Qatar 2022.
A FIFA spokesperson denied direct responsibility for the renovations at Azteca Stadium. “The Azteca Stadium and its construction process are not managed by FIFA.” However, the organization insisted that it remains committed to upholding international labor standards.
“FIFA, through its local team and in close cooperation with the Azteca Stadium, is actively engaging with stakeholders and monitoring the conditions offered to the workers,” the spokesperson said. The governing body said that protections for labor rights on-site are being jointly overseen by a local union, the Confederación Autónoma de Trabajadores y Empleados de México (CATEM), and the Mexican Chamber of the Construction Industry (CMIC).
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