The cost of glory: the human price of global sports

With each new global tournament, worries grow about what these events leave in their wake. Sporting events like the World Cup and the Olympics are often promoted as engines of progress bringing investment, jobs, and international prestige to host nations. But behind the celebratory headlines lies a troubling reality: widespread reports of labour exploitation, human rights abuses, and deepening social inequalities (1).

From unsafe construction sites to mass evictions and the silencing of dissent, the cost of these events is often borne by the most vulnerable. As fans around the world tune in to watch moments of athletic triumph, few see the suffering endured by the workers and communities left in the shadows (2). As these events grow in spectacle and scale, so too does the urgency to confront the ethical failures behind the facade of sport.

Expectations vs. reality

Global sporting events are sold as opportunities for growth, unity, and transformation. Host countries promise upgraded infrastructure, job creation, and a legacy of progress (3). But the on-the-ground impact often reveals a stark disconnect between official promises and lived reality. In 2013, Aldo Rebelo, then the Brazilian Minister of Sports, claimed that hosting the 2014 World Cup would create over 3.6 million jobs (direct, indirect, and temporary) (4). Independent studies and audits later found the actual number was much lower and largely temporary, concentrated in low-wage construction and service sectors (5).

According to The Guardian, the staging of mega-events like the Club World Cup has been accompanied by increased surveillance, immigration crackdowns, and political efforts to limit protest. These moves mirror a broader pattern in which governments use global events to justify restrictive policies under the guise of security and prestige (6).

In line with this, The Times casts doubt on the idea that Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup will act as a force for good. Despite modernisation rhetoric, the kingdom continues to silence dissent, repress women’s rights, and operate a deeply exploitative migrant labour system. Critics argue that FIFA’s choice of hosts is less about reform and more about power and profit (7).

This growing pattern has a name: sportswashing; the use of grand sporting spectacles to polish a country’s global image while diverting attention from domestic repression. The reality suggests that sport, while marketed as a neutral force, is often complicit in injustice (8).

Labour without rights

Behind the breathtaking ceremonies and billion-dollar stadiums lies a deeply troubling pattern: the widespread violation of labour rights. For many of the workers who build the infrastructure for these events, the experience is marked not by opportunity, but by exploitation, insecurity, and in some cases, fatal consequences.

Perhaps the most internationally scrutinized example is the Qatar 2022 World Cup, which relied on hundreds of thousands of migrant workers, primarily from South Asia. These workers operated under the now-infamous kafala system, which legally tied them to their employers, restricting their ability to change jobs or leave the country (9). Reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch detail pervasive unpaid wages, inhumane working conditions, and extreme heat stress, with some labourers working in temperatures exceeding 40°C without adequate protections (10; 11). Amnesty documented numerous cases of sudden cardiac deaths among otherwise healthy men (12; 13; 14).

But Qatar is not an isolated case. In Tokyo 2020, construction workers faced extreme overtime, with at least one documented case of "karoshi"—death by overwork (15). At the Beijing 2008 Olympics, Human Rights Watch reported the use of child labour, unsafe building practices, and an absence of meaningful workplace inspections (16). Similarly, the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games were plagued by reports of unsafe conditions, lack of protective equipment, and underpayment of migrant and informal workers (17).

Offside on equality

Global sporting events increasingly face scrutiny for being hosted by regimes that systematically repress women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and ethnic minorities. Saudi Arabia’s successful bid to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups. In a country where women’s rights remain heavily restricted and LGBTQ+ identities are criminalized, concerns have been raised about whether FIFA is endorsing a regime that silences entire segments of its population (18). Similarly, during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, authorities implemented laws banning so-called “gay propaganda,” effectively erasing LGBTQ+ visibility from the tournament. This bans public displays of LGBTQ symbols and advocacy, restricting expressions such as rainbow flags and pro-LGBTQ messaging in stadiums and public fan zones. (19).

In parallel, the current system is unable to ensure that local communities benefit equally from major sport events. Mega-sporting events often bring promises of urban renewal and global recognition, but for marginalized communities, they can mean surveillance, silencing, and forced removal. In the lead-up to the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, Brazilian authorities forcibly evicted thousands of residents from favelas to make way for stadiums, roads, and “beautification” projects. In 2015, nearly 6,600 families in Rio de Janeiro were evicted or faced eviction to clear space for the 2016 Olympic Games. Evictions were frequently carried out with little notice, minimal compensation, and an armed police presence, leaving families uprooted and communities fractured (20).

Why violations happen

These labour and human rights violations stem from systemic flaws in how these events are organized and delivered. Host countries often rely on temporary migrant labour to build stadiums and infrastructure, typically under conditions that lack legal protections, union rights, or access to fair grievance systems. Under immense pressure to meet tight deadlines and soaring budgets, worker safety and dignity are often sacrificed. Without proper independent oversight, many of these violations go unchecked (21).

Exploitative labour systems, such as the kafala sponsorship model in the Arabian Gulf, allow employers excessive control over workers. Even when legal reforms are promised, enforcement is weak, enabling wage theft, extreme overtime, and unsafe conditions to persist (22). Once the event ends, many of these promises are quietly abandoned, leaving workers and displaced communities with little recourse (23). Meanwhile, governments and organizers pour resources into PR campaigns and “sportswashing”, promoting a polished global image that conceals widespread abuse (24).

In recent years, fewer established democracies have stepped forward to host mega-sporting events, and when they do, they are often overlooked in favour of more authoritarian regimes or regimes more compliant to demands of sport organisations such as the FIFA. The reasons are twofold. First, democratic governments face greater public scrutiny, transparency demands, and civic resistance, especially when budgets soar, human rights concerns arise, or local communities are displaced. Public backlash, often fueled by prior failures or austerity measures, has led to a wave of referendums and withdrawals across cities like Boston, Hamburg, and Oslo (25; 26). Second, organizing bodies like FIFA and the IOC increasingly favour hosts who can deliver fast, centralized decision-making with minimal dissent which are conditions more common in authoritarian states. These regimes offer fewer obstacles, tighter message control, and greater flexibility to meet event demands, even at the cost of rights violations. The result is a troubling trend: the global stage is tilting away from accountability and toward repression (27; 28).

From spectacle to solidarity

If global sporting events are to live up to their promise of unity and celebration, they must also be held to a higher standard of accountability. While some host nations have introduced reforms, like Qatar’s labour pledges or Tokyo’s sustainability promises, these measures are too often reactive, short-lived, or left unenforced (29; 30). Behind the scenes, real change is often pushed not by organizing bodies, but by citizens, athletes, and advocacy groups.

Grassroots movements like Brazil’s Comitê Popular da Copa have shown the power of communities to resist displacement and demand justice. By researching the local impact and organising protests, Brazil’s Comitê Popular da Copa has played a major role in the development of a more critical narrative on the mega events hosted by Brazil. Similarly, groups like Migrant-Rights.org continue to spotlight worker abuse in host nations and advocate for adequate policy adjustments (31; 32). Even athletes are stepping up, like the group of top women footballers who publicly challenged FIFA’s partnership with Aramco, calling out human rights violations in Saudi Arabia (33). Yet, FIFA has failed to provide a response of any significance.

It’s time for fans, athletes, civil society, and institutions to work together to demand that sport doesn’t come at the cost of dignity or safety. There is a big role for independent oversight. In 2018, the Centre for Sport and Human Rights (CSHR) was launched. It is an independent organization that works to ensure human rights are respected in sport, especially around major events, by promoting the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. It has been effective in influencing policy by helping embed human rights standards into FIFA’s bidding process and the Olympic Host City Contract from 2024 onward. It has also developed the Sporting Chance Principles to guide stakeholders in preventing abuses like forced evictions and labor exploitation (34).

By supporting independent oversight, standing with affected communities, and raising voices when silence is easier, it can be ensured that the games are celebrated and not built on harm, but on fairness, freedom, and respect for all. Even the least athletic of us can contribute by demanding proper oversight and through supporting organisations that promote proper labour standards. Shall we?

This article is part of The Outside World, ftrprf’s very own research center.

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