Mexico City, 9 July 2025 – Today, a delegation of the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) was granted access to the renovation site of Estadio Azteca, one of the flagship venues for the FIFA World Cup 2026TM.
This marks a welcome and necessary shift after months of obstruction and a previous denial of entry earlier this year. BWI recognises the efforts made by FIFA in engaging with Estadio Azteca’s management to facilitate this visit and open a channel for engagement and dialogue.
Estadio Azteca, the largest stadium in Latin America and the only to host three World Cups, is undergoing a major renovation. In this context, access for BWI and democratic, independent trade unions is not symbolic, it is essential to ensuring that workers’ rights are upheld throughout the project.
“We welcome this breakthrough and the constructive steps taken by FIFA to support access and meaningful dialogue,”said Ambet Yuson, BWI General Secretary. “This visit is not the end of the road, it’s the beginning of a process that we want to see extended to all Mexico 2026 venues, including Monterrey and Guadalajara.”
BWI has conducted inspections and worker consultations at mega-sporting event sites across every continent – from FIFA World Cups in Qatar, Russia, Brazil, and South Africa, to the Olympic Games in France and Japan. Today’s visit to Azteca brings Mexico into that global framework of international scrutiny and cooperation.
“Transparency, accountability and recognition of workers’ rights are the foundation of decent work. Today’s access is a meaningful step, but sustained cooperation is what will define the legacy of this World Cup for Mexican workers,” said Raimundo Ribeiro, BWI Vice-President for Latin America and the Caribbean.
With renovation works involving multiple layers of subcontractors and complex contracting chains, independent oversight is more important than ever, particularly in a sector still facing high levels of informality, safety risks, and limited worker protections.
BWI remains committed to working with FIFA, local governments, and employers to ensure that international labour standards are respected across all World Cup sites in Mexico. The workers building this tournament deserve no less.
About BWI: Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI) is a Global Union Federation representing 12 million workers in building and construction, allied materials and forest industry workers affiliated to 361 trade unions in 115 countries across the globe. BWI has been campaigning for decent work at mega-sporting events for nearly two decades, conducting numerous labour inspections on Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup construction sites.
