Portugal Team Flew on GlobalX Jet Used in 1,580 ICE Deportation Flights
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 17
Portugal Team Flew on GlobalX Jet Used in 1,580 ICE Deportation Flights
1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 17
Summary
Video and flight records show Portugal’s men’s team flew to Dallas on 4 July aboard GlobalX aircraft N837VA, which also operated removal-related flights the day before and after the trip.
That same Airbus was used in March 2025 to deport more than 200 Venezuelans to El Salvador’s Cecot prison despite a judge’s order that the planes turn around.
Portugal’s federation said Fifa arranged the flight; Fifa and GlobalX did not respond. The plane has been one of the most heavily used in ICE operations, logging more than 1,580 removal-related flights since May 2023.
GlobalX has carried other World Cup teams as well, including France on at least three flights, while the Daily Mail reported England and Iran also used the airline during the tournament.
Rights advocates say using the same carrier for elite football teams and deportation flights helps normalize alleged abuses in Trump’s mass deportation campaign and increases pressure on sports bodies to cut such contracts.
Should global sports organizations boycott airlines involved in controversial deportation flights?
When an airplane transports both sports heroes and deportees, where does corporate responsibility draw the line?
How is government accountability possible when deportation flight data is intentionally hidden from public view?
When Sports Teams Fly Deportation Airlines: The Portugal Team, GlobalX, and the Ethics of Charter Flights in 2026
Overview
The Portugal men's national soccer team's July 4, 2026 flight to Dallas, operated by Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX), quickly became controversial because GlobalX charters flights for both high-profile sports teams and U.S. mass deportation operations. This dual role has drawn sharp criticism from human rights advocates, who argue that using the same airline for athletes and deportations normalizes severe human rights abuses. Advocates like Anthony Enriquez warn that such practices allow companies to downplay their involvement in immigration enforcement, raising ethical concerns for sports organizations about the impact of their travel partnerships.