FIFA Warns of Rising Racist Abuse on Social Media During World Cup

FIFA's Social Media Protection Service has released data on social media activity during the 2026 World Cup group stage, revealing a significant volume of harmful content. The service scanned over 6 million posts and comments across social media platforms.

Of the scanned content, 225,000 posts were flagged for further review. This detailed examination led to the identification of 89,000 posts containing abusive material. Furthermore, FIFA identified 1,000 accounts requiring advanced scrutiny as part of its ongoing efforts to combat online harassment. In parallel, moderation efforts resulted in 181,000 hateful comments being hidden from public view.

The FIFA report specifically highlighted the prevalence of racist abuse, which constituted 11% of all identified online abuse cases. The organization noted that these incidents included severe forms of discrimination. FIFA emphasized the detrimental impact of harmful online content on players, warning that racist abuse poses a "permanent threat to the well-being of players."

According to the latest findings from the FIFA Social Media Protection Service, racist abuse is on the rise. The service issued a stark warning: "Racist abuse is increasing and poses a permanent threat to the well-being of players."