FIFA Flags 388,000 Harmful Comments at 2026 World Cup

FIFA disclosed that it has flagged 388,000 harmful comments related to the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup, which commenced on June 11. This action highlights the persistent challenge of online abuse targeting players, teams, and officials during the tournament.

FIFA has urged fans to desist from online abuse and misconduct in football. The organization reviewed 250 million comments, identifying and removing 30 million harmful comments.

The Social Media Protection (SMP) service, launched to monitor comments, detected 3.8 million posts related to the 2026 World Cup, with 388,000 classified as harmful. This figure surpasses the 287,000 harmful comments removed during the entire 2022 tournament in Qatar.

The SMP utilizes AI-driven monitoring to automatically detect and hide abusive content, including discriminatory and threatening remarks, to protect accounts and prevent player exposure to harassment. FIFA's initiative, developed in partnership with the players' union FIFPro, aims to allow participation in football without the psychological toll of online harassment.