FIFA has deleted 388,000 hate comments since the 2026 World Cup opened on June 11, after reviewing 3.8 million posts, the body said on June 18. The total already tops the 287,000 removals recorded for all of the 2022 World Cup. The action was taken across platforms as the tournament is jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
FIFA figures show that over 250 million comments and posts were reviewed in its campaigns, with more than 30 million identified as harmful. The federation detailed these statistics while announcing a panel discussion held in Atlanta to address ongoing issues of discrimination. Panelists explored ways to educate fans and reduce hate speech through collaborative efforts with various stakeholders in the sport.
The Atlanta gathering included high-profile participants such as George Weah, Mercy Akide and David Gerson. Their contributions focused on practical steps to foster a more inclusive environment in football. According to FIFA, the meeting served as a platform to generate actionable recommendations for the remainder of the World Cup.
George Weah drew from personal experience in his remarks to the group. “When I look back, nothing has changed. I experienced racist insults when racism was at its peak. But we’re still talking about it today,” he said. “And that’s why we’re fighting, we’re trying to educate young people so they grow up to be compassionate individuals, not just people who love the game. There’s no place for discrimination in our society.”
FIFA has expanded its artificial intelligence tools to assist in detecting hate speech automatically during the 2026 tournament, according to updates from the organization. These tools help hide abusive comments before they reach wider audiences on social media. The approach complements manual reviews and has been refined based on data from prior events.
FIFA data from previous tournaments indicated similar patterns of increased activity. Host nations have supported FIFA’s initiatives by aligning their digital policies with the tournament’s safety standards. Additional resources have been allocated to monitor content in multiple languages spoken across the competing nations. The federation continues to update its protocols as the event progresses.
