FIFA cracks down on online abuse, Blacklists offenders ahead of major competitions

FIFA has intensified its global fight against online abuse, introducing tougher enforcement measures through its Social Media Protection Service (SMPS) as part of efforts to create a safer digital space for players and officials – including African and Ghanaian stars who are frequent targets of online attacks.

Since January, FIFA has flagged over 30,000 abusive posts, contributing to more than 65,000 reports made since the SMPS launched in 2022.

This year alone, 11 individuals have been reported to law enforcement authorities across seven countries for racist, discriminatory or threatening online behaviour during FIFA tournaments, with one case escalated to Interpol.

In a major deterrent step, FIFA has begun blacklisting individuals responsible for highly abusive conduct, blocking them from purchasing tickets for future FIFA events – including the World Cup, Club World Cup and youth tournaments where African participation is strong.

Enhanced protection at FIFA tournaments

The service was fully deployed at the 32-team FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, where African players and teams benefitted from real-time monitoring.

Across the tournament:

5.9 million posts analysed

179,517 flagged for harmful content

20,587 reported to platforms

2,401 accounts monitored, including players, coaches, referees and teams

Infantino sends strong message

FIFA President Gianni Infantino issued a firm warning:

“Football must be a safe and inclusive space – on the pitch, in the stands and online. Abuse has no place in our game.”

He emphasised that FIFA will continue working with Member Associations – including those in Africa – to hold offenders accountable.

How SMPS protects players

The Social Media Protection Service:

● Monitors and filters abusive content

● Blocks harmful messages before they reach players

● Reports the worst cases to authorities

● Helps platforms remove toxic posts

● Supports long-term disciplinary action

As online hate continues to affect African footballers across global competitions, FIFA’s strengthened digital safety measures signal a major step toward protecting the game and its participants in an increasingly hostile online landscape.