FIFA deletes over 7 million abusive posts during 2026 World Cup

FIFA has removed more than seven million potentially abusive posts and comments on social media during the 2026 World Cup, a figure the governing body said is 14 times higher than the number recorded at the previous tournament in Qatar.

With the 48-team tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada set to conclude Sunday with the final between Spain and Argentina at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, FIFA said its Social Media Protection Service has played a key role in identifying and limiting online abuse directed at players, coaches, officials and teams.

The protection program, introduced ahead of the 2022 World Cup in partnership with global players’ union FIFPRO, has been made available to all participating teams and individuals.

It combines artificial intelligence tools with human moderation to monitor harmful content across social media platforms in more than 50 languages.

FIFA said it has reported more than 200,000 insulting and intimidating messages during the tournament and taken appropriate action. More than 1,000 cases involving exceptionally serious threats have been forwarded to relevant authorities for further investigation.

The governing body said the scale of abuse has increased significantly compared with the 2022 World Cup, partly because of the expanded 48-team format and the wider reach of social media during the tournament.

Since launching the service, FIFA said it has analyzed more than 250 million posts and comments across its competitions, removing or limiting the visibility of more than 30 million abusive messages.

During the 2026 World Cup, the system has monitored millions of interactions, identifying racist abuse, threats, discriminatory language and other forms of online harassment.

FIFA said racial abuse accounted for more than 11% of the abusive content detected during the tournament’s early stages.

The service works by automatically detecting harmful messages and hiding them from targeted users before they appear on their profiles.

Posts flagged by the system are then reviewed by specialists, with serious cases reported to social media companies or law enforcement agencies when necessary.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has repeatedly condemned online abuse, saying hate speech has no place in football or society.

The fight against online toxicity has become a growing issue across global sports, with players and officials increasingly targeted by abusive messages after major matches.

FIFA said its protection measures are designed not only to remove harmful content but also to create a safer digital environment for those involved in the game.

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