Huge rise in harmful social media posts this World Cup

What the report says

BBC Sport reports that Fifa’s social media protection service recorded a sharp increase in harmful online activity during the 2026 World Cup, with the volume of harmful posts and comments reaching 14 times the level identified during the 2022 tournament in Qatar. The competition, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, began on 11 June and is due to end with the final on Sunday, 19 July.

According to the figures cited by BBC Sport, more than seven million messages were identified and removed during this year’s tournament, compared with 470,000 at the previous World Cup. Fifa also reported over 200,000 abusive or threatening posts and comments, up from 19,600 in 2022. More than 15,000 posts were referred for further action, while more than 1,000 of the most serious threats were passed to relevant authorities, including law enforcement.

The social media protection service is described as a digital safeguard offered to teams, coaches, players and officials taking part in Fifa competitions. During the 2026 World Cup, it moderated more than 53 million posts and comments. BBC Sport reports that artificial intelligence flagged more than 530,000 messages aimed at specific individuals, which were then reviewed by the service’s team.

The figures underline the growing challenge football authorities face in protecting participants from abuse online during major global events. They also add context to wider concerns about racist and threatening content directed at players and others in football, an issue that governing bodies, platforms and law enforcement agencies have faced increasing pressure to address.