Particle.news

Download on the App Store

2023 Women's World Cup Players Face Rampant Online Abuse

FIFA Report Reveals U.S. Women's National Team Most Targeted, Calls for Greater Awareness of Politicians' Role in Triggering Abuse

  • One in five players at the 2023 Women's World Cup received discriminatory, abusive, or threatening messaging online, according to a report by FIFA and FIFPRO.
  • The report revealed that players at the women's tournament were 29% more likely to be targeted than those at the 2022 men's World Cup.
  • The U.S. Women's National Team received more online abuse than any other team, with two players, one from the U.S. and one from Argentina, targeted more than any others.
  • FIFA's Social Media Protection Service (SMPS), which was launched last year, was used to monitor and moderate hate speech on social media, hiding harmful content from the players.
  • The report calls for greater awareness of the impact of posts from a country’s politicians, as they triggered large spikes of abuse from their own political opponents.
Hero image