Friends,
Have you ever watched someone pour years of their life into something most people will never see? Like, the time is finally here....
For the past two and a half years, I've had a front-row seat to watching my husband do exactly that as part of the team helping bring the FIFA World Cup 2026 to life. And now, as the tournament draws closer, I wanted to share why this moment means so much to our family.
A Move We Never Expected
Two and a half years ago, our family packed up our life and moved to Miami for an opportunity we never could have imagined. My husband, Matt, joined FIFA to help lead human rights efforts for what will become the largest sporting event in history. If you've followed Sapahn for a while, you know this work isn't new to us.
For nearly 18 years, human rights have shaped both of our careers just in different ways. Matt pursued a path through research, academia, and global policy, studying how people create change and advance human rights in difficult environments. My path led me to Thailand, where Sapahn was born from a belief that business could be a force for dignity, opportunity, and connection.
Different paths. The same belief. That people matter.
What Does Human Rights Have To Do With Football?
When people hear that Matt is FIFA's Head of Human Rights, they often ask: "Wow, that's interesting followed by what does that all entail?"
The answer is: quite a lot. Football has an extraordinary ability to bring people together across languages, cultures, religions, and borders. Billions of people will engage with the World Cup in some way. And whenever you bring that many people together, there is both incredible opportunity and incredible responsibility.
Matt's team focuses on four key areas:
Inclusion — helping create environments where people from all backgrounds feel welcome and respected.
Safeguarding — protecting people who may be especially vulnerable in tournament environments.
Workers' Rights — helping ensure the people whose labor makes the tournament possible are treated fairly and work in safe conditions.
Access to Remedy — creating pathways for people to raise concerns and seek resolution when issues arise.
Most fans will never see this work. And honestly, that's often the point. Success frequently looks like problems that never happen.
A Historic Opportunity:
One of the reasons this work feels so meaningful is because FIFA World Cup 2026 is doing something that hasn't been done at this scale before. For the first time, human rights considerations were built into the planning process before host cities were selected.
Today, all 16 host cities are expected to have Human Rights Action Plans addressing issues like discrimination, accessibility, worker protections, safeguarding, and community impact. There is also a dedicated mechanism for people to raise concerns connected to the tournament so issues can be addressed in real time. That may sound technical. But at its core, it's about something simple: How do we create an event where people feel safe, respected, and included?
When billions of people are paying attention, even small improvements can create enormous impact.
The Team Behind The Scenes
I've had a front-row seat to watching the Human Rights & Environment team navigate incredibly difficult questions over the past few years. The work is complex. The decisions are rarely black and white. And events of this magnitude will always be imperfect. But what has inspired me most is watching people continue to advocate for better outcomes, even when it's harder, slower, or more expensive. They don't win every battle. They face resistance. They navigate competing interests every day. But they keep showing up. And I think that's worth celebrating.
Football Brings The World Together
The World Cup is special because it creates something very rare. For a few weeks, the world gathers around a shared experience. People who speak different languages. People from different cultures. People who may never otherwise cross paths. They come together through sport. And that got me thinking... You know what else has the power to connect people across borders, identities, and cultures? Fashion. Fashion tells stories. It communicates identity. It sparks conversations between strangers. It creates belonging. At its best, it reminds us of our shared humanity.
Why We're So Excited
That's why this World Cup means so much to us personally. It's not just because Matt has spent the last two and a half years helping bring this event to life. It's because we believe deeply in the opportunity that moments like this create. An opportunity to connect. An opportunity to learn. An opportunity to celebrate what we share while honoring what makes us different. An opportunity to move humanity forward, even in small ways.
Come See Us In Kansas City
This summer, Sapahn will be part of the FIFA World Cup experience in Kansas City at Union Station through a partnership with Next Paige Talent Agency and we couldn't be more excited! Over the coming weeks, you can expect LOTS of futbol and fashion forward inspiration, fan stories, behind-the-scenes moments, and reflections from one of the most global events the world has ever seen. Head over to our IG page to join in the FUN and if you'll be in Kansas City, we'd love to see you. And if not, we hope you'll follow along. Because while the matches will eventually end, the stories, connections, and memories we carry with us last much longer. The World Cup may be about football. But for us, it's also about humanity. And we're honored to be part of the story.
Let's go!
Brooke
