FIFA detects over 7 million abusive comments during World Cup 2026

FIFA's Social Media Protection Service (SMPS) has identified more than 7 million potentially harmful or abusive comments targeting players, teams, and officials during the ongoing World Cup 2026. The global soccer body announced Saturday that its dedicated service aims to shield participants from online threats and abuse.

The scale of detected abuse represents a significant increase, with the detection rate being 14 times higher than that of the 2022 World Cup, when 470,000 such posts were removed. The SMPS team has meticulously reviewed over half a million messages flagged by AI as potentially abusive towards players, coaches, and officials throughout the tournament.

Beyond detection, the service has taken action by reporting more than 1,000 direct threats to relevant authorities, including law enforcement agencies. Since the World Cup's commencement, the SMPS has moderated a total of over 53 million posts and comments. Earlier in the tournament, FIFA noted that racial abuse constituted 11% of the offensive messages identified.