FIFA / social media: 17.1 million posts analysed at 2026 World Cup, 240,000 abusive messages identified

Of the 17.1 million posts and comments analysed by FIFA’s Social Media Protection Service (SMPS) during the 2026 World Cup, 477,000 were referred for human review, after which 240,000 were verified as abusive, FIFA announced on 9 October 2026, on the eve of World Mental Health Day.

After 89,000 abusive messages were recorded during the group stage (72 games), the knockout stage (32 games) accounted for 151,000.

Of the 2,905 accounts that passed the threshold for potential criminal investigation, 786 were referred to law enforcement, 232 of which were "prioritised for investigation" due to the severity of their content.

Racial abuse accounted for 20% of all categorised abuse, compared with 11% at the end of the group stage. Violent threats accounted for 14% of cases and xenophobic abuse…