The high-level side event, titled “Safeguarding Women in Sport: Global Action Against Trafficking and Exploitation,” was hosted by Mission 89, in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone, the Permanent Observer Mission of the Sovereign Order of Malta, and the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica.

As a multi-billion-dollar global industry with transformative potential for youth development and gender equality, sport is also increasingly being exploited by transnational trafficking networks.

According to the 2024 UN Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, women and children make up the majority of identified victims, and there is a disturbing upward trend in trafficking cases linked to athletic recruitment, particularly in the Global South. The UN General Assembly’s Resolution 78/228 also echoed concern about this phenomenon, citing the need to improve coordination, data collection, and policy action across sport and migration systems.

A key highlight of the event was the formal presentation of the Global Thematic Report on Sport Trafficking, a groundbreaking study co-produced by Mission 89, Loughborough University, and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK.

The report provides the first globally recognised definition of sport trafficking aligned with the Palermo Protocol and offers a detailed analytical framework for governments, sport federations, and human rights institutions to identify, prevent, and respond to trafficking practices.

One of the most compelling aspects of the event was the inclusion of athletes whose lived experiences added depth and urgency to the conversation. Nigerian international and Al-Ittihad centre-back Ashleigh Plumptre shared her insights on the pressures faced by female footballers navigating contracts, migration, and power imbalances. Finnish goalkeeper Katriina Talaslahti, currently with Dijon FCO, underscored the need for international safeguarding systems, noting that women often face vulnerabilities that aren’t just physical, but systemic.

The keynote address, delivered by H.E. Professor Michel Veuthey of the Sovereign Order of Malta, emphasised the urgent need for cross-border cooperation and data-sharing frameworks to detect and prevent exploitation in transnational sporting contexts.

Key interventions were delivered by Dr. Marie-Laure Lemineur, Head of Safeguarding at FIFA, who presented FIFA’s latest safeguarding strategies and emphasised the role of federations in implementing athlete-centred protection. Others are Hon. Jared Okelo, Member of Parliament (Kenya), who called for legislative alignment between sport governance and national anti-trafficking laws and Ms. Céline Moreau, legal expert and former ILO officer.

With Switzerland preparing to host the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 in July, the side event provided a timely opportunity to engage stakeholders, spotlight vulnerabilities before a major women’s tournament, and build momentum for policy reform. The conveners called for immediate efforts to scale up public awareness campaigns like Mission 89’s #NotInOurGame, enhance legal identity protocols for athlete migration, and strengthen institutional safeguards through interagency cooperation.

The event successfully fulfilled its core objectives: raising awareness, fostering cross-sector dialogue, and proposing concrete next steps to tackle trafficking in sport. Lerina Bright, Executive Director of Mission 89, affirmed in her closing remarks: “Safeguarding women and girls in sport is not a side issue, as it is central to the future of sport as a force for good. With the tools, testimonies, and political will showcased today, we have the power to change the game.”

Download the Global Thematic Report on Sport Trafficking
[here]

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Themed “Expanding the Fight Against Human Trafficking: Prevention of Trafficking in Mega-Sport Events,” the event opened with opening remarks from the Executive Director, Mission 89, Ms. Lerina Bright, Deputy Director General of Operations, IOM, Ugochi Daniels, and Ms. Ewa Naqvi, Chief of Mission, IOM Qatar who spoke all about the evolving landscape of mega-sporting events.

Ms. Ewa Naqvi provided context about the international dimensions of sports trafficking. “Qatar’s position as a global sporting hub gives us both an opportunity and a responsibility,” she noted. “While data shows that major sporting events can become focal points for trafficking networks, these same events can become powerful platforms for prevention and awareness through adequate preparation and partnership. The protocols we’re developing here in Qatar can serve as a model for sporting events worldwide.”

In her address, Ms. Lerina Bright, Executive Director of Mission 89, emphasised that the trafficking of young athletes is a crime against individuals and an assault on the essence and integrity of sports. “As sports fans and anti-trafficking advocates all look ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, we understand that the trafficking risks we’ve documented are evolving. Through Mission 89’s work, we’ve learned that prevention requires not just vigilance, but a complete reimagining of how we protect young athletes in the global sports ecosystem”.

The event featured a landmark presentation of the new Global Thematic Report on Sport Trafficking by Dr. Monique Emser, providing new insights into the mechanisms of exploitation. The report revealed disturbing trends, including an increase in reported cases of sports-related trafficking over the past five years, complex recruitment networks operating across multiple continents, the exploitation of digital platforms to target vulnerable youth, and the particular vulnerability of athletes from developing nations.

Nasser Al-Khori, the executive director of Generation Amazing Foundation, highlighted how Qatar’s World Cup legacy is being leveraged through sport for development programmes to build resilient communities. “GA was born from Qatar’s World Cup journey, reaching over a billion people across four continents. Now, as a key legacy foundation of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, we’re leveraging our global football for development network to contribute to safeguarding efforts and protecting vulnerable young athletes worldwide. I believe that the State of Qatar has continued to deliver on its promise of legacy by acting as an oasis of dialogue on mega sporting event related research.”

The event, moderated by renowned human rights advocate Professor Parosha Chandran, provided a platform for critical discourse on leveraging international collaboration to address sport-related human trafficking. Reflecting on the broader implications, Professor Chandran remarked, “Mega-sporting events hold immense power to unite people across borders, yet their shadows can harbor exploitation and suffering. We must confront this reality with unwavering resolve. Let today be a turning point—where we not only envision safe spaces in sports but actively create them.”

Mr. Umar Garba Baba, Former INTERPOL Vice President (Africa), shared critical insights into cross-border trafficking operations, while professional footballer Ashleigh Plumptre offered powerful examples of the vulnerabilities young athletes face. “The exploitation often begins with a simple promise,” Plumptre noted. “Our responsibility is to ensure these promises don’t become pathways to trafficking.”

To underscore the country’s commitment to addressing sports trafficking, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Social Welfare, Hon. Melrose Karminty said,  “Sierra Leone stands ready to lead by example,” Minister Karminty affirmed. “That is why I am delighted to announce our intention to host the first-ever global conference on sports trafficking. This conference will provide a platform for countries, institutions, and stakeholders to collaborate on practical solutions to this pressing issue.”

The day concluded with The Walking Football Match, an innovative advocacy initiative by Generation Amazing Foundation that emphasises the importance of communication and access to adequate resources. The initiative demonstrated how sports can serve as both a medium for awareness and a tool for change.

For media inquiries, please reach out to media@mission89.org

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 The European Football Agents Association (‘EFAA’) is a non-profit organisation which represents the collective interests of players’ agents in European professional football. In a bid to raise awareness of prevalent issues in the sport, EFAA has entered into a partnership with Mission 89 to acknowledge the consequences of trafficking in sport and play a part in combating it.

This joint venture focuses on education and the spread of information through Mission 89 social media. The campaign will run across all major social media platforms until 15 September. The objective is to educate young people on irregular migration and trafficking of minors in football. We spoke to EFAA Secretary General, Roberto Branco Martins, about EFAA’s goals for the future, and how a successful partnership could raise much needed awareness of trafficking in football.

“My official role is EFAA General Counsel,” he said. He came into this role almost 20 years ago after he conducted EU-wide research to find alternative platforms for regulating employment issues in the European professional football sector.

“I noticed that all individual actors in football, except the football agents, were gathered in an organisation that defended their collective interest. Together with leading agents, that notion led to the creation of EFAA.”

Martins describes the mission of EFAA as one that maintains professionalism and transparency in all the activities players’ agents undertake. “We do this by means of promoting an inclusive ‘agent’ voice in the international professional football sector,” he told us, “always in constructive collaboration with the established stakeholders.”

Q&A

Mission 89: How does EFAA support players agents?

Roberto Branco Martins: EFAA is an umbrella organisation of national agent associations. EFAA serves as the channeled voice for these individual associations and also for their individual members. EFAA has the experience and networks to assist in practically every element of agent activity [and] our members look for us for support.

M89: With globalization and the rapid commercialisation of football, how much has the landscape changed for player agents over the years?

RBM: The landscape has changed a lot due to the [over-]commercialisation of football. But the major changes are connected to the changes in the [framework of] regulation of players’ agents. The regulation needs to find a balance between the freedom of profession versus the necessary protection of vulnerable players and the need for transparency in payments in the transfer business. This leads to a struggle for legal certainty and that struggle remains a serious issue today.

M89: What do you think of the proposed agents’ regulations set by FIFA? And will it affect the way player agents work today?

RBM: EFAA believes that the current intentions will, overall, benefit the football agent industry. However, the regulations are not set in stone yet and for these principles to become regulations, some important steps towards consensus still need to be taken. EFAA is willing and able to assist FIFA and the stakeholders in any serious and well documented consultancy.

M89: In light of the proposed regulations, what are EFAA’s short- and long-term objectives?

RBM: Our objectives are always connected to our mission. Concrete, practical examples are a necessity for an international arbitration tribunal to efficiently solve international disputes; all while taking account of the specificity of the profession and a solid mechanism to guarantee that payments to, and representation by agents are not too far from the realistic agent activities. A set of rules needs to be simple and easy to follow and not leave open ends for forum shopping to circumvent the rules.

M89: The issue of trafficking of minors in football is a sensitive one, how high does EFAA rank the issue of football trafficking of minors in its agenda?

RBM: Very high. But EFAA realizes that it must work with other stakeholders to best combat this issue.

M89: What is EFAA doing to combat the trafficking of minors in football?

RBM: We have proudly engaged in approaching Mission 89 and look forward to actively communicating the objectives and outcomes of this project to our members and in doing so educate them where necessary about [trafficking].

M89: What role can EFAA play in combating the trafficking of minors in football?

RBM: We believe that we can create awareness among agents, football talents and their parents. It is important to know what an agent does, and even more importantly, what should NOT be the role of an agent. Many activities that are connected to child trafficking have nothing to do with how EFAA sees the portfolio of agent activities. Criminals that are involved in these type of crimes should not be placed under the scope of the definition of a players’ agent. EFAA wishes to bring this message across to its members and other relevant addressees.

M89: What advice would you give to young people out there who would like to pursue a career as a player agent?

RBM: Smell the sense of reality. Being a player agent is not what the media makes of it. You will not become a millionaire overnight and the chance that you will make a good living out of it is also very small. It is a tough industry and the ‘romantic’ idea troubles reality too much. Only start if you have enough skills and funds to make it for a while without running the risk of temptation to fall into dodgy alternatives in order to make ends meet.

M89: Which aspect of your work as EFAA Secretary General makes you the proudest?

RBM: The idea that, despite the stigma, we have been able to prove that we genuinely contributed to better standards in the international transfer business and that, in such a change, we have made our mark. It makes me proud to be part of such a process, focusing [specifically] on sport as a unifying and peaceful entity in the world, and to combat the wrongdoings that are a result of poor regulation and the over-commercialisation of football.

Follow Mission 89 on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter for more information about trafficking of minors in sport and our partnership with EFAA

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Matthew, who has served as an advisor to Mission 89 since 2018, now joins Ode Fulutudilu as the second sports figure to represent the organization as an Ambassador.

Once a victim of trafficking himself, Matthew has been a vital figure for Mission 89 in tackling child trafficking in and around sport. His inspiring story has raised awareness about the severity of trafficking of young athletes around the world. Currently, Matthew is the CEO of GEAP-F Media Ltd., operating ELEGBETE TV & RADIO on YouTube to tell stories of local coaches and players who are treated as superstars at home, even before they go abroad.

As Mission 89 Ambassador, Matthew will serve as a delegate of the organization by using his name, voice, and platform to reach young players vulnerable to trafficking, to raise awareness, and to fight against human trafficking in and around sport.

QUOTES

“We are so happy to officially announce Edafe Matthew Eseoghene as our ambassador. Matthew has been Mission 89’s companion since its establishment and has played an indispensable part in telling the reality of trafficking in sport to our associates and audiences. He is yet another shining personality we all look up towards, and together we can take another big step to mitigate the exploitation of young athletes.”

Lerina Bright – Executive Director, Mission 89

“It is an honour to be picked as an ambassador for such a brand that is committed to fighting a good fight. As someone who’s been a victim before, this has a personal touch for me.”

Edafe Matthew Eseoghene – CEO, GEAP-F Media Limited

QUICK FACTS

• At the age of 20, Matthew was a victim of trafficking in football and after being abandoned by an illegitimate football agent in Cape Verde for 11 months without a contract or any financial support.
• Since 2007, Matthew had worked as a sport analyst and journalist for Al Jazeera, HiTV and Brila FM.
• In 2014, Matthew was a commentator at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
• In 2017, Matthew started his own media company called GEAP-F Media Ltd., owners of ELEGBETE TV & RADIO on YouTube.

Mission 89 Ambassador Programme

The Mission 89 Ambassador Programme is a social influencing and community outreach initiative that uses the positive values of sport to raise awareness of human trafficking within the context of sport. The Ambassador role is assigned to high-profile personalities who have been thoroughly appraised and selected by the organization.

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In 2009, Michael Afolabi Sodeke became a player’s agent and since then he has been involved in sports promotion and development from grassroots to the professional level. In 2018, he played a leading role in repatriating 10 football trafficking victims who were scammed and left stranded in Cape Verde by a fake agent with the promise of a trial in Europe.

He is the C. E. O of Anfield-Lane Integrated Services, which includes Anfield-Lane Soccer School and Anfield-Lane Sports Promotion. Michael founded Football Intermediaries Association of Nigeria (FIAN), an association responsible for unifying all registered intermediaries in Nigeria. FIAN has recorded some major achievement under his leadership, highlights of which include affiliation with the European Football Agent Association (EFAA) and a campaign against human trafficking through football.

We had a chat with him on his role as a football agent and his thoughts on human trafficking in the name of sports.

Questions:

1. Why did you decide to become a football agent?
2. What do you like most and least about being an agent?
3. In your opinion what are the three characteristics of a good agent?
4. What are three things that young players and their parents should be aware of before signing a contract with an agent or agency?
5. It has been reported that up to 15,000 young footballers are trafficked out of West Africa annually (Poli, 2010) on false pretenses to play professionally in Europe. What do you make of this?
6. Do football agents have a role to play in safeguarding young players from exploitation?
7. What do you make of the new agents’ regulations set by FIFA? What would you like to see changing?
8. What education could be useful to agents to do their work even better?
9. Which aspect of your work as a football agent makes you the proudest?

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Ellen Chiwenga has been working in the world of football for more than 15 years, learning step by step all the aspects of the game, from grassroots football development to global business development and transfers. She is a FIFA Football Match Agent, as well as a member of the Association of Football Agents (AFA), the International Association of FIFA Licensed Football Match Agents (FIFMA), and Women in Football (WIF) from Zimbabwe.

Driven to create change in a male-dominated industry with the ambition to promote diversity and equality in the game, she is the only female Football Match Agent in England and the only female African Football Match Agent in the world. As part of her duties, Ellen legally represents athletes by checking their contracts and negotiating their employment. She is responsible for communication between the managers and individuals she represents to ensure that both sides are satisfied and also arranges international matches among teams belonging to different Confederations, such as friendly matches and tournaments between national teams or clubs.

Her work has been recognized with several awards. She was named Personality of the Year at the 2017 Zimbabwe Achievers Awards and the African Woman of the Year in Football in 2018. That same year, she became an Ambassador of FC Karachi in Pakistan. In August 2019, Ellen Chiwenga was appointed Global Goodwill Ambassador of Bring Hope Humanitarian Foundation (BHHF), a charity organisation that delivers humanitarian aid and medicines to internal displaced people, refugees, and people in need around the world. In November 2019, Ellen received the prestigious Football Black List Award for her outstanding work in football. She is a member of the ‘Right to Play’ Partnerships Committee and in January 2020 was awarded the Medal of Knight of the Order of Lafayette. In May 2020, Ellen became advisor at FIFA Ethics and Regulations Watch (FERW). Earlier this year, Ellen Chiwenga announced her intention to run for the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) presidency in the 2022 election.

We had a chat with her on her role as a football agent.

Why did you decide to become a football agent?

I grew up in Zimbabwe hearing about football all the time as my two uncles were working with clubs and the football association. Above all, I love football because of its power to inspire and drive change in the lives of boys and girls. When I moved to the UK, my own experience taught me how difficult it can be for a young person to adapt to a new environment, sometimes in a totally different country. This is how why I decided to become an agent. I like to take care of players because I know that my daily work has an impact on their wellbeing. By helping them adapt and feel well in the club and mentally, I make sure that they deliver great performances on the pitch. Football is the science of people and I like these interactions, not just with the player but with the clubs’ staff, other agents, the community and the fans.

Which aspect of your work as a football agent makes you the proudest?

Managing a player is like being a mother taking care of her child. I like to see them grow as individuals, and flourish as players. There is often a lot of expectations from the fans and media, as well as large sums involved in transfers at a young age. It is not always easy for players to resist the pressure and make sense of all this. There are countless stories of great talents who never fulfill their potential. Therefore, it is a source of pride to see one of your players developing into a nice, confident and respectful individual with good values that will guide them for a lifetime. Also, to see young boys and girls make their dreams come true as professional players after years of hard work, commitment and sacrifice fills me with tremendous joy for them and their family.

What are some of the misconceptions about football agents?

One of the biggest misconceptions in the public and media is that football agents exploit the system and make a lot of money on transfers. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Agents are a key part of the football ecosystem. They are ambassadors who detect talents, promote and advise players, facilitate discussions with clubs, and help them find the best opportunities. People take a partial view based on the very few top agents who negotiate the transfers of world-class players. They merely represent the top of the iceberg and reality is that many agents struggle to make a decent living with players in lower divisions and smaller clubs. Also, there is no magic formula to be certain that a young talented player will sign a professional contract in the future. This is a risk that the agent has to take. What many people also forget is that an agent doesn’t just come and go after taking a commission on transfers. An agent continues to take care of his/her player after the transfer, and this is a 24/7 job.

What advantages does a female agent have in an industry that is dominated by men?

Speaking about my own experience, I would say that a woman football agent takes a different perspective, more long-term and comprehensive than men. While most men would focus in details on the qualities of a player – statistics, technical skills, strength, speed, stamina, etc. – I like to engage with the player and discuss topics such as which position he prefers, the system he feels more comfortable with, or what type of coach he likes. Regarding potential transfers, we discuss elements like the city, the region, the teammates, and if he thinks he would fit into the culture of the club. I know that the living and working environment is very important for the development of a player, for him to strive in his new club, so we take the time to address all these topics. A man might not take the same approach.

In your opinion, do you think that the majority of agents are aware of the issue of human trafficking in football? If yes, then why do you think human trafficking continues in football? If no, why not? What could be done to improve awareness among agents?

We have all heard the sad stories of human trafficking in football and how so-called ‘agents’ are taking advantage of impoverished families and children in developing countries by luring them with false promises of lucrative careers abroad. However, most agents working with professional clubs in the top leagues of Western countries only see the faces of the young players who have signed or are about to sign their first professional contract. The problem of human trafficking in football has to be tackled directly at the source, in countries where poverty leads many families to believe the narrative of corrupted individuals. It is worth noting that those individuals are not ‘agents’, since official agents are required to be registered by their Football Association (FA) and go through police check if working with minors. Therefore, it is the role of governments, municipalities, Ministries of Sports, and Football Associations in developing countries to lead the charge against human trafficking in football by educating local populations about this danger. FIFA also has a large role to play by initiating an international campaign on the subject, and by making sure that part of the funds it sends to the FAs of poor countries is used to fight against this global issue.

What role can football agents play in preventing the trafficking of young footballers?

Whenever they travel to less developed countries and poorer areas of the world in order to scout potential players for clubs, agents should take the opportunity to speak with local club managers, football academies staff, and football authorities about this important subject. They should also raise this matter with coaches and make sure that their message is relayed to the kids, and even better, their parents. Together with their FAs, football agents could work to produce information leaflets and stickers that could be distributed to the relevant populations at home and during their trips. Education and knowledge are the first powerful barrier to eradicate trafficking.

Are there any special considerations for female football players who sign with agents? Are any specific measures taken to safeguard them from exploitation?

Females are more vulnerable, and with the growth of the women’s football across the globe – which is a great improvement – it will also become more dangerous. Unscrupulous individuals will try to take advantage of the situation by luring young girls with tales of riches with a football club in Europe, the US or China. The first line of defense is the family. With more girls around the world attracted by the passion of football, it is important for the parents and family to acknowledge it and support them in their journey. Taking interest, asking questions, attending training and watching games is the surest way to understand who is evolving around your daughter and take action to prevent any kind of exploitation before it happens.

What do you make of the new agents’ regulations set by FIFA? What would you like to see changing?

I strongly welcome the decision of FIFA to reintroduce the mandatory licensing system for agents. Having had literally anyone being able to act as agent for players did nothing good for the game, and makes me wonder why it was abandoned in the first place. This will raise professional standards, and bring more transparency with the creation of a FIFA Clearing House. Regarding the more sensitive issue of a cap on commissions, I believe that the market is always better regulated by itself. Temptations to distort, in any sector, the natural equilibrium of the market always create unintended externalities and incentives for some actors to get around the legislation, which is exactly what everyone wants to avoid. But overall, the return of the licensing system represents a great opportunity to inform and educate agents about the issue of human trafficking and the risk of exploitation by fake agents at grassroots level.

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MEP Bogdan Wenta said the European Parliament’s Sport Intergroup would table a parliamentary question to the European Commision and place trafficking in sport on the EU political agenda.

“It is crucial to create and raise awareness around the issue of human trafficking as related to professional sport and acknowledge the magnitude of the problem,” said Wenta.

The event – co-hosted by Wenta, non-profit Mission 89, the European Parliament Sport Intergroup, and the Amersi Foundation – was the first time multiple sport stakeholders had met under the same roof in Europe to discuss trafficking in sport – particularly football.

Participants agreed to actively pursue concrete measures to eradicate trafficking in sport.

Attendees included representatives from FIFA, the Premier League, the International Labor Organization, the Office of Sport of the Italian government, Interpol, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Athletics Integrity Unit, Council of Europe, International Centre for Sport Security, SIGA, the European Football Agents Association, Kampos St-Denis, West Ham United Foundation, the University of Loughborough, University of Liverpool.

A powerful video testimony from football trafficking survivor Matthew Edafe of Nigeria rallied the audience to challenge a status quo where the issue is widely ignored. Edafe, who was recruited in Nigeria and then abandoned en route to Europe by fake agents, called for professional footballers to take a leading role in educating young Africans on legitimate pathways to a career in professional sport.

“The EU should not ignore the importance of trafficking in sport and its dramatic impact due to Europe’s attractiveness for youth athletes,” said Mission 89 Executive Director Lerina Bright. “This gives a responsibility to re-open discussion inside Parliament and for this subject to be debated until a structured and sustainable solution can be proposed.”

Baroness Young of Hornsey (UK), said the exploitation of children and young adults in sport cannot be tolerated and that collaboration across industry sectors and among stakeholders was “vital”.

“We can’t sweep this issue under the carpet,” Young said. “Addressing it and finding solutions is something we can do. It is easy to sign up to a charter but the next step is asking ourselves what we can actually do. We need leadership and we need people to stand up and say not in our game and commit to something concrete.”

Chris Eaton, a former FIFA and Interpol official who is now a consultant to the International Center for Sports Security, called on FIFA and regional football confederations to register and regulate players agents and register and regulate youth training camps and coaching schools.

Eaton said a publicly available registry of players, agents, and youth training schools would enable families to have confidence in who they are dealing with on behalf of their children.

Media representative Juliet Bawuah described the value of launching educational campaigns through social media to reach aspiring young athletes in Africa.

Mohamed Amersi, of the Amersi Foundation, linked the exploitation of athletes to the broader issue of modern day slavery.

“This was a groundbreaking gathering that took positive steps to address the eradication of youth exploitation and trafficking in sport,” Amersi said. “In terms of purchasing slave made goods, Europe follows the United States as the biggest abuser of modern day slavery. It is important that sport and institutional leaders recognize their important role in changing the status quo and particularly protecting the most vulnerable and marginalized.”

Baroness Young called for the group to reconvene within six months.

“There is a sense of urgency and a willingness to move forward together,” said Baroness Young.

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