After the Final Whistle: the Legal Issues of the World Cup
Warning: This story discusses sexual assault and rape
Following Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina, the World Cup has blown the final whistle until four years’ time. However, for the International Federation of Associated Football, commonly known as FIFA, and for some players, what had been left on the sideline throughout the tournament will now become the centre of attention.
Throughout the international tournament, media attention shone on many significant legal issues. At least three athletes in the 2026 World Cup continued to play amid ongoing serious sexual assault allegations, attracting scrutiny aimed at both the players and FIFA’s institutional responsibilities.
FIFA itself was questioned on the legality of its ticket sales and pricing, involved in an ongoing joint investigation by New York and New Jersey Attorneys-General. The refusal of entry of teams and individuals into host nations also drew frustration.
Thomas Partey, a player from Ghana’s National team, was charged in July 2025 over 5 counts of alleged rape and 1 count of alleged sexual assault. Partey pleaded not guilty to these charges before being charged again recently with two more allegations of rape from December 2020. Partey also pleaded not guilty to the two later charges. He will likely face trial in 2027.
Ryan Mendes, the captain of the Cape Verde team, is presently under investigation by New Zealand authorities over an alleged rape to have occurred in March this year. Mendes has not publicly commented on the allegations.
Another player, Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, will face trial for an alleged sexual assault said to have occurred in 2023, with the Versailles Appeal Court stating sufficient evidence for the player to stand trial in a statement to The Athletic. Hakimi denies the allegations.
The player’s participation sparked immense criticism directed towards both their respective nations and FIFA. Andrea Florence, the executive director of the Sport & Rights Alliance, stated that FIFA needed to take “the widespread problem of abuse in sport seriously”
Whilst FIFA does not necessarily hold a legal responsibility, the federation could have an institutional and regulatory responsibility within these matters. Across all three cases, it is not known if FIFA took action.
Nevertheless, FIFA does have a Safeguarding and Anti-Discrimination Code of Conduct. This Code of Conduct states that misconduct and abusive behaviour are ‘inconsistent’ with the promotion of the integrity of football and safe sport values. More importantly, it states that accredited individuals using accreditation devices, including players, must declare that they have never been investigated for, or convicted of, a sexual or violent offence.
The mechanics to how this rule applied to the accused players is unclear. However, it is possible that players were granted a presumption of innocence and were declared to be under investigation, allowing them to participate.
The lack of a stringent system is arguably a matter of concern. Ursula Shepherd, a PhD researcher on sexual violence justice, believes this ‘downplays the severity of sexual violence and minimises what it really means to face such charges’.
Whilst there is no overarching sport regulation for managing allegations within Australia, the National Rugby League’s (NRL) “No-Fault Stand Down” rule is an example of disciplinary action whilst the presumption of innocence continues to apply. The rule requires players charged with a serious criminal offence that has a maximum penalty of 11 years’ imprisonment or more to be automatically suspended from playing. The player remains on full pay and can continue to train with their team. When challenged in the Federal Court of Australia in 2019, the court ruled the rule was “reasonably necessary” in protecting values, sponsor relations, and public image.
Multiple other World Cup players have been accused and investigated over sexual assault, some settling matters with the survivor confidentially, and others being acquitted at trial.
Beyond individual player offences, FIFA is currently under legal scrutiny from New York and New Jersey Attorneys-General over ‘deceptive’ ticketing sales.
Ticket prices were significantly higher than in the 2022 World Cup, as dynamic pricing was introduced for the first time, meaning tickets were ‘algorithmically valued’. Although Reuters analysis found that sales were still high, as more than half of the group matches were attended to capacity, the investigation will continue.
Additionally, seat maps for the stadium were initially divided into four zoned categories before new categories were added, which may have misled customers about their seating locations.
New Jersey Attorney-General Jennifer Davenport explained to The Athletic that their appetite is to make sure that they’re protecting consumers all the time,
“The exploitation of fans and consumers is a huge piece of that”.
In New York, the Consumer Protection Law can stop “deceptive or unfair trade practices”.
Whilst the joint investigation is being conducted by the New York and New Jersey Attorneys- General, the Californian and Texan Attorneys-General have subsequently launched similar investigations.
Outside of the United States, Germany-based ticket resale site Ticombo secured an injunction from a regional court that ordered a stop against FIFA’s ‘manipulative process’ regarding ticket sales. Nonetheless, the jurisdiction of the ruling presently only applies to Germany.
Cross-border jurisdictional challenges also emerged, with the 2026 World Cup consisting of forty-eight nations hosted across three countries.
Following his sexual assault charges, Thomas Partey was prohibited from entering Canada. Under Canadian Immigration Laws, foreign nationals awaiting trial can be refused admission, with a Canadian Federal Court judge dismissing his emergency appeal for a visa. Partey did not face refusal of entry to the United States.
Just days before the world cup commenced, Iran’s football federation said its ticket allocations for fans had been revoked. The team’s base camp was moved from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, requiring them to travel for their games.
A Somali referee was also denied entry to the United States, causing international scrutiny.
As the repercussions of the 2026 World Cup play out, attention will be paid to how the 2030 World Cup will change, which will be played predominantly across Spain, Portugal and Morocco. Human rights groups like Amnesty International are hoping the sporting world will move from ‘voluntary human rights “guidelines” to real accountability’.
