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Jun 18, 2026 Major2
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FIFA says it removed nearly 388,000 hate comments during World Cup
FIFA says it has deleted 388,000 hate comments and harmful posts since the 2026 World Cup began in North America. The organization also said it has reviewed millions of messages in an effort to curb online abuse, while football figures including George Weah continued to press for stronger action against racism.
Quick Facts
Who
FIFA
What
removed hate comments and harmful posts
When
since the start of the 2026 World Cup
Where
the United States
- removed hate comments and harmful posts
- reviewed online comments and posts during the World Cup
- held a discussion in Atlanta about combating hate speech and racism
- FIFA
- George Weah
FIFA says it has removed 388,000 hate comments and other harmful posts since the start of the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The world governing body said it reviewed 3.8 million comments and posts during the tournament as part of its online moderation efforts.
The figures show a sharp rise in the volume of content FIFA has had to process compared with the 2022 World Cup, when it said it deleted 287,000 posts and comments over the full tournament. FIFA said it has run the service at its major events since the previous men's World Cup.
The issue of racism and abuse in football was also discussed at a meeting in Atlanta involving former world player George Weah, former Nigeria international Mercy Akide and David Gerson, a US referee and founder of the group "Referees Need Love Too." Weah said that little had changed in the fight against racism, adding that discrimination has no place in society.
FIFA said it has reviewed more than 250 million comments and posts overall through the moderation service, identifying more than 30 million as harmful. The organization’s campaign is aimed at protecting players, officials and other participants from online hate during the tournament.
Why This Matters
These figures highlight the massive scale of online abuse during major sporting events, and FIFA's ongoing battle to protect players, officials, and fans. For readers, it underscores the importance of robust moderation systems and the need for continued public pressure on governing bodies to enforce anti-racism measures effectively.
Timeline & Sources
Jan 1, 2022
WireFIFA said it deleted 287,000 posts and comments during the entire World Cup.
Jun 18, 2026
WireFIFA said it had reviewed 3.8 million posts and comments and removed 388,000 since the start of the 2026 World Cup.
Jun 18, 2026
WireA discussion in Atlanta brought together George Weah, Mercy Akide and David Gerson to discuss tackling online hate speech.