Fifa has revealed that more than 30,000 abusive online posts directed at players, coaches, teams and officials have been reported to social media platforms this year.
According to the governing body’s latest update, 11 individuals have also been reported to law enforcement in 2025, with one case passed to Interpol. Those identified for online abuse were located in Argentina, Brazil, France, Poland, Spain, the UK and the US, and were traced through incidents linked to Fifa competitions.
Marking the International Day for Tolerance, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said football must remain a safe environment across stadiums, matches and online spaces.
He said Fifa is using “advanced technology and human expertise” through its Social Media Protection Service (SMPS) to shield players and officials from harmful content.
What is the SMPS?
The SMPS was launched in 2022, jointly with global players’ union Fifpro, to track, report and block abusive messages appearing on major social platforms.
Fifa faced criticism earlier this year after anti-racism messaging appeared to be scaled back at the Club World Cup in the US, but the SMPS continued operating throughout the tournament.
During that event, the system monitored 2,401 active accounts across five platforms. Out of 5.9 million posts analysed, 179,517 were flagged for review and 20,587 were formally reported to the platforms for action.
Infantino: “Abuse has no place in football”
Infantino stressed that Fifa will continue to work with national associations, confederations and global policing bodies to hold perpetrators responsible.
He added that offenders can also be blacklisted from purchasing tickets for future Fifa tournaments.
Growing volume of reports
Since the SMPS was introduced, Fifa says over 65,000 abusive posts have been sent to social media platforms for moderation or removal. The body maintains that online harassment remains one of the biggest threats to player welfare, especially during major tournaments.
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