FIFA's Social Media Protection Service (SMPS) has detected more than seven million potentially harmful or abusive posts during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, marking a dramatic increase in online abuse compared with the previous tournament.
The governing body said on Saturday that the number of abusive messages identified was 14 times higher than during the 2022 World Cup, when around 470,000 offensive posts were removed.
The AI-powered monitoring system, designed to protect players, coaches, match officials and teams from online harassment, has reviewed more than 500,000 messages flagged by artificial intelligence throughout the tournament.
According to FIFA, more than 1,000 threats deemed serious enough were reported to relevant authorities, including law enforcement agencies.
Since the start of the World Cup, the SMPS has moderated over 53 million social media posts and comments, highlighting the growing challenge of online abuse surrounding major sporting events.
Racial abuse remains a concern
Earlier this month, FIFA revealed that racial abuse accounted for 11% of all offensive messages detected during the tournament.
The organisation launched the Social Media Protection Service to help identify and remove abusive content while protecting players, coaches and officials from targeted harassment across social media platforms.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup concludes on Sunday with the final between Argentina and Spain, as FIFA continues monitoring online activity surrounding the tournament.
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