FIFA's Social Media Protection Service (SMPS) found 14 times more harmful posts during the 2026 World Cup compared to 2022. Over seven million messages were identified and removed this summer, a sharp rise from 470,000 at the previous tournament in Qatar.

Abusive and threatening content also surged, with more than 200,000 posts flagged versus 19,600 in 2022. Over 15,000 posts were escalated for further action, and more than 1,000 egregious threats were referred to law enforcement.

The SMPS, available to all teams, coaches, players, and officials, moderated over 53 million posts and comments during the tournament co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. AI detected more than 530,000 messages targeting specific individuals, all assessed by the SMPS team.