FIFA Reports Surge in Online Abuse During 2026 World Cup

FIFA's digital watchdog revealed a significant rise in online abuse during the 2026 World Cup, with 89,000 abusive posts detected on social media during the group stage, marking a 13-fold increase compared to the 2022 edition in Qatar. The organization reported that 11% of these posts contained racially motivated messages, representing a 3% rise in racial abuse compared to the group stage in Qatar.

FIFA's social media protection service scanned six million posts and comments, indicating a 33% increase in offensive content. The organization took action on approximately 1,000 accounts and identified 225,000 posts for human review.

FIFA's statement emphasized the importance of using a mix of technology and human moderation to filter and block racist and discriminatory messages, aiming to protect players from exposure to abusive content. The expanded tournament format, increasing from 32 to 48 teams, contributed to the higher volume of content analyzed.