The 2026 World Cup has seen a 14-fold increase in harmful social media posts compared to the previous tournament, with more than seven million messages identified and removed by Fifa's social media protection service (SMPS).
During the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, 470,000 such posts and comments were flagged. This summer, the figure has soared, with Fifa also reporting more than 200,000 abusive and threatening posts – up from 19,600 last time.
“Harmful social media posts during the 2026 World Cup have surged 14-fold compared to 2022, Fifa data shows.”
More than 15,000 posts have been escalated for additional action, while over 1,000 egregious threats have been passed on to relevant authorities, including law enforcement.
The SMPS, a digital shield available to all teams, coaches, players and officials participating in Fifa tournaments, moderated more than 53 million posts and comments during the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Artificial intelligence detected more than 530,000 messages targeted at specific individuals, which were then assessed by the SMPS team. The scale of the problem, more than 14 times larger than just four years ago, raises urgent questions about the effectiveness of online moderation in sport.