Mission 89 is a global organisation working at the intersection of sport, migration, and human rights to prevent the exploitation of young athletes.
Co-funded by the European Union — Erasmus+ Sport | Grant Reference: 101242519 | December 2025 – November 2026
Across the world, thousands of young athletes pursue dreams of professional sport. For many, these dreams are manipulated by traffickers who exploit ambition, poverty, and limited opportunities. Mission 89 exists to confront this reality.
We combine research, education, and policy advocacy to create systems that protect young athletes before exploitation occurs. Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 8.7 and 16.2, our work addresses the root causes that allow sport trafficking to persist.
Mission 89 is the world’s only research, education, and advocacy organisation dedicated exclusively to combating human trafficking in, through, and around sport. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, we work in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, FIFA Article 19, and the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (the Palermo Protocol) to strengthen safeguarding systems, promote accountability, and influence policy reforms that protect minors and young migrant athletes worldwide.
We produce the first and most comprehensive independent evidence base on sport trafficking — shaping global understanding, informing policymakers, and strengthening legal frameworks.
We equip athletes, families, coaches, federations, and communities with practical knowledge to identify risks, understand rights, and recognise warning signs before harm occurs.
We work with governments, intergovernmental organisations, sport governing bodies, and international institutions to strengthen regulations, close loopholes, and create accountability across the global sports ecosystem.
Young athletes estimated trafficked annually from West Africa through football alone
Safeguarding officers trained across international sports organisations
Participants across Mission 89’s global online training sessions
Countries engaged through Mission 89 initiatives, campaigns, and events
SafeSport Pathways is Mission 89’s EU Erasmus+-funded project protecting young migrant athletes from exploitation as they pursue sport opportunities across borders. Through a multilingual digital toolkit, professional micro-credentials, and structured safeguarding pathways, the project gives young athletes the knowledge to stay safe and make informed decisions about their sporting futures.
Young athletes are too often targeted by false promises of trials, contracts, scholarships, and migration opportunities. What looks like a pathway to success can quickly become a route into trafficking, abuse, abandonment, or labour exploitation. Sport trafficking is not on the margins of global sport — it is embedded within it.
Understand how young athletes are trafficked and why safeguards matter
Fund independent investigations and evidence-based reporting
Raise awareness within your networks and communities
Collaborate on research, policy, safeguarding, or education