FIFA Report on Social Media Racism During the 2026 World Cup
FIFA has shared comprehensive data with the public regarding insults, harassment, and racism encountered on social media during the 2026 World Cup process.
Released on the eve of World Mental Health Day, the FIFA report revealed data on racism and harassment directed at athletes via social media during the 2026 World Cup.
AI-Powered Social Media Review
Throughout the tournament, more than seventeen million posts and comments were meticulously analyzed by artificial intelligence systems within the Social Media Protection Service.
Posts Containing Insults and Racism
Out of the contents scanned by artificial intelligence, four hundred seventy-seven thousand were referred for human review, and two hundred forty thousand of these were confirmed to contain insults. One-fifth of all these abusive posts consisted of racist expressions.
Legal Sanctions and Security Threats
As a result of the detected insult and racism cases, legal sanction procedures were initiated against seven hundred eighty-six accounts. Among these accounts, two hundred thirty-two were determined to pose a real security threat and were included in the scope of priority investigation.
Effects on Athletes' Mental Health
It was emphasized that harassment carried out via social media can leave devastating effects on the mental health of targeted individuals, leading to anxiety, chronic stress, and depression.
Players Directly Targeted and Ratios
Out of the one thousand sixty-six participants in the championship, eight hundred twelve became direct targets of harassment. It was determined that forty percent of the most heavily targeted players received more than ten thousand abusive messages, including racist posts.