A comprehensive study released by FIFA’s Social Media Protection Service (SMPS) on World Mental Health Day (Saturday, October 10, 2026) has revealed that Argentina was the most targeted nation for online hate and abuse during the World Cup.
Analyzing over 17.1 million posts and comments across X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok between June 9 and July 20, 2026, the report highlights that more than half of the 1,606 monitored players, coaches, and officials experienced online harassment. Following Argentina, the teams suffering the highest volume of abusive messages were England, Spain, Brazil, and Norway.
Critics targeted Argentine manager Lionel Scaloni with xenophobic narrative and unfair officiating claims, while racist abuse accounted for 12% of all discriminatory posts, primarily targeting players of African descent. Furthermore, referees faced the most severe threats, including doxxing and match-fixing accusations. Out of 240,000 flagged posts, FIFA alerted authorities regarding 2,905 accounts and referred 786 profiles to law enforcement agencies.
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by Sports Desk • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
