FIFA has revealed that its Social Media Protection Service has detected and taken action against more than 388,000 harmful comments since the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The football governing body said the move highlights the continued challenge of online abuse targeting players, teams and match officials during major football competitions.
FIFA urged supporters to avoid hate speech, harassment and other forms of harmful behaviour online.
AI system monitors abusive content
According to FIFA, the Social Media Protection Service reviewed millions of posts and comments to identify abusive content.
The organisation said the system has analysed over 250 million comments and posts since its launch, with about 30 million harmful posts identified and removed.
For the ongoing World Cup, FIFA said more than 3.8 million comments and posts connected to the tournament were reviewed, leading to the detection of 388,000 harmful comments.
The figure is higher than the number of harmful comments removed throughout the entire 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
FIFA expands player protection programme
The monitoring service uses artificial intelligence technology to detect and hide abusive messages, including discriminatory, threatening and hateful content.
The system protects players and other football figures by reducing their exposure to harmful posts while allowing FIFA to take further action against offenders.
The programme was created in partnership with global players’ union FIFPRO and was first introduced during the 2022 World Cup.
Debate continues among fans
While many fans welcomed FIFA’s efforts to reduce online abuse, some social media users questioned how the organisation defines harmful comments.
Some argued that passionate football opinions should not be treated the same way as threats or discrimination.
Others called for more focus on issues such as refereeing decisions, scheduling and other factors that influence fan reactions during tournaments.
