Mission 89 Appoints Ten Global Youth Ambassadors to Scale Anti-Trafficking Campaign Ahead of 2026 World Cup

Mission 89 has appointed ten Youth Ambassadors to spearhead the global campaign against sport trafficking as a part of the Youth Ambassador Programme.

By recruiting the cohort across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, the Geneva-based advocacy and research organisation also further expands the reach of its flagship initiative, The Line We Don’t Cross, including the “Red Card To Trafficking” campaign, which is focused on amplifying issues around trafficking during the 2026 World Cup.

The cohort represents the largest leadership expansion of the campaign since its launch in July 2025. The ten ambassadors include athletes, students, and youth advocates who already work in education, civic engagement, and child protection in their own countries.

Mission 89 has intentionally curated the cohort to empower voices from regions and communities most vulnerable to recruitment fraud, contract exploitation, and cross-border trafficking occurring within and through the sporting community.

“Our mandate has always been to ensure that the intellectual capital and lived experience of those most affected are the driving force of our movement”, said Lerina Bright, Founder and Executive Director, Mission 89. By amplifying the voices of our new ambassadors, we are committing to a necessary paradigm shift where advocacy is led by informed conviction and self-determination.”

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports that children now account for 38 percent of all trafficking victims worldwide. Mission 89’s research has documented recruitment patterns in the West African football corridor, East African athletics, Cuban baseball, and combat sports in Southeast Asia. The Youth Ambassador cohort represents these regions and their associated recruitment markets.

The Line We Don’t Cross initiative currently benefits from the strategic support of United Through Sports and the International Organization for Migration. As Mission 89 continues to forge partnerships with international federations and national governing bodies, the campaign remains steadfast in its objective to heighten global consciousness and advocate for legislative frameworks necessaryto eradicate this systemic exploitation.