Fifa flies Portugal's World Cup team on plane used for ICE deportations

Fifa flew Portugal’s World Cup team on an aircraft tied to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportations, raising fresh questions about how sports logistics overlap with enforcement practices. The Portugal squad flew a Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX) plane on 4 July, en route to Dallas ahead of its match against Spain, with tail number N837VA visible. Flight records reviewed by The Guardian show the same Airbus operated removal-related flights both before and after carrying the athletes. The article also links that aircraft to the March 2025 removal of more than 200 Venezuelans to Cecot, a mega-prison in El Salvador, despite a judge ordering planes to turn around. United by Human Rights First tracking, GlobalX has conducted more than 1,580 removal flights since May 2023 under an ICE contract, while Fifa declined to comment.