Spain reports 40,000 online hate posts during World Cup and 528 racism complaints in 2025

The Spanish Observatory of Racism and Xenophobia (OBERAXE) recorded 40,861 pieces of hateful or discriminatory content on social media in June, with 69% linked to public‑security narratives and 16% to sport. The surge was tied to the FIFA World Cup, especially targeting Spanish player Lamine Yamal with racist and Islamophobic messages. Platforms removed 61% of the reported posts, slightly lower than in May.

SOS Racismo’s annual report for 2025 logged 528 racism‑related complaints across Spain. Institutional racism accounted for 136 cases, denial of public services 121, racist assaults 76, police‑related racism 75, denial of private services 56 and labour discrimination 37. Public entities were identified as the main perpetrators in 70% of incidents. The data are presented alongside the EU’s 2026‑2030 anti‑racism strategy.