FIFA deletes 388,000 hate comments from social media

Football governing body FIFA has removed thousands of hate comments made on social media since the start of the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada on 11th June.

According to the federation, 3.8 million posts have been reviewed, and 388,000 have been removed. Throughout the 2022 World Cup, 287,000 posts and comments were deleted.

"Over 250 million comments and posts were reviewed, with more than 30 million of them identified as harmful," FIFA said.

The announcement came as FIFA, TikTok and the City of Atlanta brought together an elite group of players, policymakers, technology experts, and community leaders at the National Centre for Civil and Human Rights to discuss practical solutions to tackle hate speech and mark the International Day for Countering Hate Speech.

Held on the eve of the FIFA World Cup 2026 match between Czechia and South Africa at the Atlanta Stadium, the panel discussion focused on practical measures to end hate speech, safeguard the game and preserve football as a global force for unity, for sport and society.

The event concluded with a formal commitment ceremony, during which panellists pledged specific local actions, underlining the message that eradicating hate speech requires sustained and collective responsibility across all levels of the game.

WAM