Over half of World Cup participants face online abuse, FIFA study finds

A FIFA-commissioned study has found that online abuse affects more than half of World Cup participants, according to research by the Social Media and Political Science Lab (SMPS).

The researchers analysed 17.1 million posts and comments across social media platforms. Following human review, approximately 2.4 lakh posts were identified as abusive in nature.

The findings highlight the widespread harassment faced by players during major international football tournaments, particularly on social media platforms where fan engagement is highest.