FIFA Reports Over 30,000 Abusive Posts to Social Media in 2023

FIFA Reports Over 30,000 Abusive Posts to Social Media in 2023

FIFA Reports Over 30,000 Abusive Posts to Social Media in 2023

FIFA has reported more than 30,000 abusive posts to social media platforms this year.

The governing body of world football disclosed in a recent report that 11 individuals were reported to law enforcement authorities in 2025, with one case submitted to Interpol.

These individuals, identified for their abusive behavior during FIFA competitions, are located in Argentina, Brazil, France, Poland, Spain, the UK, and the US.

On the International Day for Tolerance, FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized the importance of creating a safe and inclusive environment in football. "I want to make it abundantly clear that football must be a safe and inclusive space - on the pitch, in the stands, and online," he stated.

FIFA is implementing decisive measures to protect players, coaches, teams, and match officials from the serious harm caused by online abuse. This includes the FIFA Social Media Protection Service (SMPS), which was established in 2022 in collaboration with the players' union, FIFPro, to monitor, report, and block abusive content.

Despite facing criticism for appearing to diminish anti-racism messaging at the Club World Cup held in the US this summer, the SMPS was actively utilized during the tournament. A FIFA statement indicated that during this event, the SMPS monitored 2,401 active accounts across five social media platforms, analyzing 5.9 million posts, flagging 179,517 for review, and reporting 20,587 to the relevant platforms.

Infantino reiterated FIFA's commitment to combating abuse, stating, "Our message is clear: abuse has no place in our game, and we will continue to work with our member associations, the confederations, and law enforcement authorities to hold offenders accountable. This behavior has no place in football or in society, and FIFA is taking all possible steps by reporting these incidents and blacklisting individuals from purchasing tickets for FIFA tournaments."

Since the inception of the SMPS, FIFA has reported over 65,000 abusive posts to social media platforms.

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