The 2026 World Cup, which commenced on 11 June and runs until 19 July, has seen a sharp surge in harmful online content. Fifa’s social media protection service revealed that malicious posts and comments have multiplied by 14 times compared to the 2022 tournament.
Authorities identified and deleted over seven million messages throughout the summer, a steep rise from the 470,000 recorded during the previous tournament held in Qatar. Furthermore, instances of abusive and threatening language climbed to 200,000, significantly higher than the 19,600 cases reported in 2022.
Of the content reviewed, 15,000 posts required escalation, while over 1,000 severe threats were forwarded to law enforcement agencies for further investigation. The social media protection service acted as a safeguard for players, coaches, and officials across the tournament, which was hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Throughout the event, the service moderated more than 53 million posts, utilizing artificial intelligence to flag 530,000 messages aimed at specific individuals.
