1 hour ago
4
The biggest sporting event on the planet is supposed to be a celebration. For the journalists tasked with covering it, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is shaping up to be something closer to an obstacle course of visa denials, safety threats, and border harassment.
The International Federation of Journalists has issued a pointed warning about press freedom risks surrounding the tournament, which kicks off June 11 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The concerns aren’t hypothetical. Three journalists were killed in Mexico in 2025 alone, all of whom had reportedly received threats before their deaths.
A dangerous beat gets more dangerous
Mexico has long ranked among the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists. Reporters investigating organized crime and corruption face routine intimidation, and that violence doesn’t pause for a soccer tournament.
The IFJ’s concerns extend well beyond physical safety in Mexico, though. Restrictive visa policies are already creating barriers for journalists from specific regions. Reporters from African nations and Iran have faced refusals that effectively bar them from covering the event, according to the federation’s findings.
FIFA is expected to issue approximately 16,000 media accreditations for the tournament. For many, the accreditation badge won’t be enough to get through the door.
Here’s the thing: a World Cup media credential is not a visa. Journalists still need to clear immigration independently, and the evolving political climate in the United States, combined with stricter immigration enforcement, has raised fears that reporters could face detention or harassment at border crossings simply for doing their jobs.
The coalition pushing back
The IFJ isn’t sounding this alarm alone. The Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders have both issued safety guidelines for media professionals planning to cover the tournament.
IFJ President Zuliana Lainez and General Secretary Anthony Bellanger have been vocal in advocating for equal access and concrete safety guarantees from both FIFA and the host nations. Their demands are straightforward: journalists should be able to report freely without facing single-entry visa restrictions that limit their movement, without risking detention at borders, and without fearing for their physical safety.
The advocacy groups have also highlighted instances of sexism and discrimination within the broader media landscape surrounding the event.
Three host countries, three sets of problems
Mexico’s dangers are well-documented and lethal. The country’s track record of journalist killings speaks for itself, and the three deaths in 2025 underscore that the situation isn’t improving.
The United States presents a different kind of threat. Heightened scrutiny at the border has been reported for journalists attempting to enter the country, with concerns that immigration enforcement could be weaponized against foreign press. A single-entry visa means a journalist covering matches in multiple host cities across all three countries might not be able to re-enter after crossing a border.
What this means for coverage and accountability
When journalists can’t get visas, can’t cross borders safely, or can’t investigate stories without fearing for their lives, the quality and independence of reporting suffers.
The 16,000 media accreditations FIFA plans to distribute suggest the organization understands the scale of press interest. But accreditation without access is theater. If reporters from large swaths of the globe are effectively locked out by visa policies, the coverage will skew heavily toward outlets from wealthy nations with favorable immigration relationships.
For the press freedom organizations involved, the weeks leading up to June 11 represent a closing window to extract meaningful commitments from FIFA and the three host governments. Safety protocols, visa facilitation agreements, and clear policies against border harassment would all be tangible steps.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
English (US) · 