Concern over rise in online racist abuse at World Cup
Summary
During the 2026 World Cup group stage, there was a large increase in online racist abuse compared to the 2022 tournament. FIFA’s social media protection team found nearly 89,000 racist posts and took action against many accounts spreading hateful comments.Key Facts
- About 89,000 racist and abusive posts were found during the 2026 World Cup group stage.
- This number is 13 times higher than the 6,700 racist posts recorded in 2022.
- Racist comments made up 11% of all online abuse, which is 3% more than four years ago.
- FIFA’s social media protection service scanned over 6 million posts and comments, a 33% increase from before.
- Over 225,000 posts were reviewed by humans, and about 181,000 hateful comments were hidden from view.
- Around 1,000 social media accounts were flagged for further investigation, with over 100 cases reaching legal action thresholds.
- Dutch players Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber, and Crysencio Summerville received racist abuse after their penalty misses in a match against Morocco.
- The increase in racist abuse shows a concerning trend, even as methods to detect and fight it have improved.
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