The 2026 FIFA World Cup may have been the biggest ever staged, with 48 teams taking part – but it has also contributed to a staggering rise in online abuse. The high-profile racist attack on Golden Boot winner Kylian Mbappé by a Paraguayan senator is just the tip of the iceberg.
On 1 July 2026, FIFA reported that its Social Media Protection Service had identified 89,000 abusive social media posts during the group stage alone. Around 11% of all detected abuse was racially motivated. FIFA also stated that approximately 1,000 accounts had been escalated for further investigation and that more than 100 cases potentially met legal thresholds for action. This represents a 13-fold increase compared with the equivalent stage of the 2022 World Cup,
Professional sport has always attracted passionate debate, criticism, and emotional reactions. But the rise of social media, combined with a growing wave of angry bettors, has fundamentally changed the relationship between athletes and the public.
What was once confined to stadiums, television studios and newspaper columns can now be delivered directly to a player’s phone within seconds of a match ending. Increasingly, that criticism crosses a line into unacceptable and often criminal abuse.
A recent BBC investigation highlighted the scale of the problem in the UK, finding that more than 2,000 extremely abusive social media posts were directed at Premier League and Women’s Super League players and managers during a single weekend of football. The posts included racist abuse, death threats, rape threats and other forms of hate speech.
Athletes Are No Longer Staying Silent
The call for action is increasingly being led by the athletes themselves with high-profile sports stars becoming vocal advocates for stronger safeguards, greater accountability and tougher action against online abusers.
Raheem Sterling has been one of football’s most outspoken voices on the issue. Following research that found he was among the most heavily targeted players for discriminatory abuse online, Sterling publicly challenged both football authorities and social media companies, stating:
Football and the social media platforms need to step up, show real leadership and take proper action in tackling online abuse. The technology is there to make a difference, but I’m increasingly questioning if there is the will.
His comments reflected growing frustration among athletes who feel that progress has been too slow despite years of promises from platforms and governing bodies.
In tennis, Sir Andy Murray has echoed similar concerns. Speaking in support of fellow British player Katie Boulter after she revealed the scale of abuse she receives online, Murray noted that athletes have been discussing the issue for years with little meaningful change. He expressed hope that authorities and social media companies would finally take stronger action, stating:
Athletes across all sports have been discussing this for a long time, but it hasn’t really changed. Hopefully something can get done soon.
More recently, England defender Jess Carter highlighted the issue during the Women’s European Championship after revealing she had been subjected to sustained racist abuse throughout the tournament. In announcing her decision to step back from social media, Carter made a conscious decision to speak publicly in the hope that it would drive change.
Hopefully speaking out will make the people writing this abuse think twice so that others won’t have to deal with it.
Taken together, their voices are helping shift the conversation from awareness of the problem towards action to solve it.
Why it matters: the Human Cost
Research published by Ofcom found that online abuse is increasingly affecting sports professionals’ ability to do their jobs and live their lives. Some individuals reported feeling afraid to leave their homes following online threats, while others described concerns for the safety of family members.
When supporters discuss professional athletes, it is easy to focus solely on performance. Players are often viewed through the lens of results, statistics and transfer values. We often hear the justification that ‘they are paid to do the job, so they have to deal with the criticism that comes with it’. Yet behind every social media account is a person, often dealing with the same challenges, pressures and vulnerabilities as anyone else. Professional athletes choose to compete in the public eye, but they do not sign up to be targets of hatred.
The psychological impact should not be underestimated. Professional athletes already operate under intense scrutiny, with performance pressures, injuries and public criticism forming part of daily life. The addition of relentless online abuse can create an environment in which mental wellbeing is constantly under threat.
Dr Emma Kavanagh, a sport psychologist and leading expert on athlete welfare and online harms, has repeatedly highlighted that virtual spaces and real-world sporting environments are interconnected, meaning online threats, harassment and abuse can have very real consequences for an athlete’s wellbeing, mental health and sense of safety.
Kavanagh has also warned against normalising abuse as simply part of being a professional athlete, as online abuse can have “profound and lasting effects” and that protecting athletes’ health and wellbeing must become a central part of modern player care. She notes, safeguarding athletes online is no longer optional—it is an essential component of protecting the people behind the performances.
Why Is Abuse Increasing?
The emotional nature of sport can encourage impulsive behaviour. Frustration following a defeat, disagreement with a referee’s decision, or disappointment with a player’s performance can quickly translate into hostile online comments but other factors appear to be driving the rise in online abuse.
Firstly, social media creates a sense of anonymity. Users often feel emboldened to post comments online that they would never express in person. The BBC investigation found that a significant proportion of abusive content originated from accounts based in the UK and Ireland, demonstrating that the issue is not limited to anonymous overseas users.
Secondly, the growth of sports betting has introduced an additional dimension. Athletes across multiple sports have reported receiving abuse from individuals claiming they have lost money as a result of performances or results. Wimbledon competitors, for example, have spoken publicly about receiving hostile messages from suspected gamblers following matches.
The Role of Social Media Platforms
The challenge lies in balancing freedom of expression with user safety. Criticism of players, teams and managers is a legitimate part of sporting culture. Threats, racist language and targeted harassment are not.
Technology companies have invested heavily in moderation tools and artificial intelligence systems designed to identify harmful content. Yet evidence shows that significant volumes of abusive material remain visible online. Platforms must continue improving moderation processes and ensuring that the most serious forms of abuse are removed quickly and consistently. Stronger enforcement mechanisms, improved identity verification processes and faster responses to reports involving threats, hate speech and harassment are essential.
What Is Ofcom Doing About Online Abuse?
In the UK, Ofcom has been given significant new powers through the Online Safety Act to help make online platforms safer and hold technology companies accountable for harmful content. Recognising the growing impact of online abuse on athletes, one of Ofcom’s key objectives is to ensure that social media platforms provide users with effective tools to control what they see online and to reduce their exposure to harmful content. Under the Online Safety Act, major platforms are expected to assess the risks of harmful content on their services and demonstrate how they are protecting users from abuse, hate speech and other forms of online harm.
The regulator is also developing Codes of Practice that set out how regulated online services can comply with their legal duties. These include requirements around reporting mechanisms, moderation systems and user empowerment tools designed to help individuals reduce the amount of harmful content they encounter. Platforms that fail to meet their obligations could face significant regulatory scrutiny and financial penalties.
While many athletes continue to argue that stronger action is needed, Ofcom’s work represents an important shift in the UK’s approach to online safety. Rather than viewing abuse as an unavoidable consequence of social media, regulators are increasingly treating it as a safeguarding issue that requires systematic intervention, accountability and protection for those at risk
What Else Can Be Done?
While not every abusive message originates from a gambler, evidence increasingly suggests that sports betting is a major contributor to online abuse – and the betting industry is starting to respond.
Fanatics Sportsbook has just introduced sanctions so that they can suspend or permanently ban customers who target players, coaches and officials online. The development reflects a growing recognition that abuse linked to gambling is not simply part of fandom – it is a safeguarding issue requiring meaningful consequences.
Fanatics should be applauded in attempting to create a new level of accountability that extends beyond social media platforms themselves
Clubs, leagues and governing bodies are no longer viewing online abuse as something that happens separately from the game itself and are increasingly imposing real-world consequences on offenders. Arsenal, for example, has banned supporters who were identified sending abusive online messages, while courts in England have issued Football Banning Orders to individuals who racially abused players on social media. The Premier League now operates dedicated investigations into online discrimination, and FIFA has begun blacklisting serious offenders from purchasing tickets for future tournaments.
At Squire Patton Boggs, we have been successful in representing individuals and organisations who have been the victim of online abuse. We have seen offenders investigated by law enforcement, we have seen platforms responding by removing harmful content, and we have seen injunctions granted to prevent further occurrences. Small, but important steps.
A Culture Change Is Needed
Most sports fans would be appalled by the idea of directing racist abuse or death threats at an athlete face-to-face. Yet social media often creates distance between actions and consequences.
The common thread running through the abuse is that behind every account, profile and public image is a human being. If sport is to remain a force for inclusion and community, tackling online abuse must become everyone’s responsibility – from governing bodies and social media platforms to clubs, players and supporters themselves.
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