FIFA has intensified its fight against online hate during the ongoing World Cup, removing more than 388,000 abusive social media posts through its Social Media Protection Service, marking one of the largest digital moderation efforts in the tournament’s history.

The football governing body said the number of harmful posts removed has already surpassed the total recorded during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, highlighting the growing challenge of online abuse directed at players, coaches, officials and teams.

FIFA’s monitoring system uses a combination of artificial intelligence and human moderators to identify and remove racist, discriminatory, threatening and abusive content across major social media platforms. Since its launch ahead of the 2022 World Cup, the programme has reportedly helped eliminate millions of harmful comments from online spaces.

The organisation has also strengthened enforcement measures against offenders, including reporting severe cases to law enforcement agencies and restricting access to future FIFA events for individuals found responsible for serious online abuse.

FIFA officials said the initiative reflects the organisation’s commitment to protecting participants from digital harassment and ensuring a safer online environment as football’s global audience continues to grow.

The latest crackdown underscores the increasing role of AI-powered moderation tools in combating hate speech and online toxicity, as sporting bodies worldwide seek to address the darker side of social media engagement during major international tournaments.