Fifa flies Portugal’s World Cup team on plane used for ICE deportations
Summary
The Portugal men's soccer team flew on a plane operated by Global Crossing Airlines for a World Cup match. This same plane is also used by the U.S. government under President Trump to deport immigrants, including Venezuelans, sometimes without legal processes.Key Facts
- The Portugal team flew on July 4th to Dallas for a match against Spain on a GlobalX plane with tail number N837VA.
- This plane was used the day before and after for deportation flights by the Trump administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
- The plane was involved in a March 2025 deportation of over 200 Venezuelans to a large prison in El Salvador, despite a judge’s order to stop.
- Some deportees on this aircraft said they were wrongly accused and suffered abuse at the prison.
- FIFA arranged the Portugal team’s flight on this plane; the team has also flown other airlines during the tournament.
- Other World Cup teams, including France, England, and Iran, have also used GlobalX planes.
- Human rights groups criticize the use of the same planes for deportations and sports flights, saying it normalizes human rights violations.
- GlobalX and FIFA have not responded publicly to requests for comment about this situation.
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