FIFPRO urges action as racist abuse of footballers spikes at 2026 World Cup

The global players’ union FIFPRO warned that footballers are facing a growing wave of racist and hateful abuse online and in public during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In a statement the union called for “tangible consequences for the responsible parties and a joint effort by law‑enforcement, social‑media platforms, media, fans and the public” to reverse the trend.

FIFA data show that 11 % of offensive comments this tournament were racist – a three‑point rise on the previous World Cup – and 89 000 abusive posts were identified, 13 times more than in 2022. National federations have responded: Germany’s DFB condemned the hate comments received after its Round of 16 exit, Switzerland’s FA said it is proactively blocking comment sections and forwarding criminal‑law‑breaching posts to authorities, and the Dutch KNVB filed a complaint with the public prosecutor after its players Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Crysencio Summerville were targeted following missed penalties. The federations have also disabled comment functions on affected social‑media accounts and are cooperating with law‑enforcement to pursue the identified accounts.