Rights proofing and performative acts: institutionalizing human rights in sport mega events

The European governing body, UEFA, was the first football federation to include human rights clauses for the host as part of its bidding process for EURO 2024 in Germany. The tournament produced of a Human Rights Declaration which clarified the event owner and private event organizer responsibilities to respect human rights in all processes and operations. We draw on theories of institutional logics, isomorphic pressures and Ahmed’s critique of performative equalities to trace how effectively human rights standards and policies were implemented for EURO 2024. We utilized document analysis, in-situ observations, and interviews to explore how human rights commitments were developed and implemented in planning the tournament. We found that translating theory into practice proved challenging, due to tight deadlines, the late formation of a Human Rights Board and lack of clarity over the relationship between human rights and wider sustainability agendas. We conclude by outlining lessons for EURO 2028.