The Digest:
World football governing body FIFA has significantly escalated its battle against online abuse targeting players and officials, reporting tens of thousands of harmful posts and referring offenders to law enforcement. According to the organization's latest update, its monitoring systems have identified a surge in toxic behavior, leading to real-world consequences for perpetrators across multiple countries.
Key Points:
- FIFA's Social Media Protection Service (SMPS) has flagged over 30,000 abusive posts in 2025 alone.
- Eleven individuals across seven countries have been reported to law enforcement authorities.
- One case of severe abuse has been referred to Interpol for international action.
- Perpetrators identified for "highly abusive behaviour" are being blacklisted from ticket purchases.
- The system analyzed 5.9 million posts during the 32-team Club World Cup in the United States.
- Since its 2022 launch, the SMPS has escalated more than 65,000 abusive posts to platforms.
- FIFA President Gianni Infantino emphasized that football "must be a safe and inclusive space" online.
Sources: Complete Sports
